Healing
by DH Hana
Summary: It can be difficult to get over the past, to face changes, and find yourself despite the pain. A new girl arrives in La Push, carrying more baggage than she knows what to do with. Can the pack become her new family? Can she find healing in the arms of Embry Call?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Alright, I am rather shocked that I am writing a Twilight Fanfic. But, I have been enjoying other people's stories about the wolf boys. Inspiration hit. So, what the hell...**

 **This is a continuation of of my first Twilight story "Protection". This can be read independently, however, the story of Paul and Anna's relationship would be found there. Just look under my profile.**

 **Please be warned that there may be topics of violence, anger, abuse, sex, suicide and other adult themes. This is rated M for a reason.**

 **Please let me know what you think. The stories I post here are not perfect. I do not edit enough for typos and grammar. Mostly, I work on these stories to shake up emotions and other projects. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated as it will help me grow as a writer with style and content choices. This is not 100% to cannon. However, I own nothing.**

 **Now that I have been working on this story, I realize that there is very little of Embry's personality in the first several chapters because I write from Phyre's line of story. Please be patient as that will change later in the story. Yet, you get to see more of Paul, Collin, Brady, Seth, and others as the story develops.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The blistering fevers were getting on her nerves. Why wouldn't this cold go away? She was so hot that she wanted to strip down to a tank top even though it was only 55 degrees outside. Yet, she forced herself to keep her layers on. She needed them at the moment.

She had enough shit to deal with already and she hated to be sick.

Holding on to the shelves in front of her, for just a moment, the girl took a deep breath. Then, another. And, another. Once, her head stopped spinning, she opened her eyes again and refocused on her mission. She had already managed to grab a few snickers bars, packages of donuts and almonds. She still needed to get some Tylenol or something to help with the cold, before she got the largest soda that she could get in this little rinky dinky whole in the wall convenience store.

Just as Phyre started to pocket the meds, a hand quickly grabbed her jacket covered wrist.

"What in the hell? You a perv or something?" She growled as she looked up to the older man next to her. He was obviously one of the local men, that rich mocha skin, long black hair tied in back and deep chocolate eyes were a common combination. However, what stood out about him was his size. Fuck, he was as tall as a bear and as wide as one too. He was intimidating for an old man.

To her frustration, he smirked. "No. That's not gonna happen. However, I am not blind to the shop lifting that you are trying to get away with." And, he pulled her hand back out of her pocket with the medicine box still clutched into her fingers.

He shook his head. "Sorry darlin', but today is not your lucky day." He pulled out a wallet from his back pocket and opened it to show a badge. God damn it! He was Tribal Police.

Phyre tried to run. But, damn, his grip was tight. In her panic, her head started to spin again.

* * *

"Do you know anything about her Phil?" Phyre could hear a woman's voice. "Could she be Quileute?"

There was a long sigh. "I don't know Sue. I have never seen her before. But, we have more people living off rez than on it. All I know is that she doesn't have ID or anything in her bag."

Phyre wanted to stay quiet, pretend to still be asleep, but the body aches in her joints wouldn't let her. She rolled over and clutched at her shoulders. As she opened her eyes, she saw a woman with long dark hair smile at her and place a cool, comforting hand on her forehead.

"Hello. My name is Sue Clearwater. I am a nurse here at the La Push Medical Clinic. Can you tell me how you feel?"

"Like shit." Phyre's voice was dry and cracking. Though, she was surprised that the woman didn't flinch at her language. Most adults did.

Sue grinned. "As I remind my children... feeling like shit may be the honest answer. But, to help you, I need to get more of a description."

Phyre tried to roll over to the other side, away from the woman. Yet, all she could manage was to roll her eyes. "I hurt. Everywhere. My muscles, my bones, my joints."

Sue nodded her head. "I know you have a fever. And, you did pass out. What about your stomach? Are you nauseous? When is the last time you ate?"

"I am hungry. Really hungry. But, the last time I ate was yesterday. Just donuts that I could swipe at some truck stop."

She heard a scoff from near her feet. "Nice to know you make a habit out of shop lifting." The man that caught her glared with his arms crossed over his chest.

Sue looked up. "Sheriff Call, would you be kind enough to stick your head out the door and flag down Katie. I think we need to get this girl a real meal."

Oh fucking hell! Not just caught by the Police, but by the fucking Sheriff! Phyre dropped her head back and closed her eyes. It was official. Life fucking sucked and she wanted to just die. Why not? Everyone else did. They took the easy way out. Why couldn't she? Why did she have to keep fighting?

* * *

Once Phyre finished eating and was given some real medication to help with the fevers and body aches, she started to feel a little better.

However, the prick of a Sheriff took the opportunity to start drilling her about her name, parents, family, etc. He asked why she was in La Push and how she got there. Phyre didn't want to answer any of it. She was tired of authority figures who did jack shit to help anyone. Threatening to toss her out like trash. It was all their fault that her life was so fucked up. No. That was not true. It wasn't all their fault. It was her parents fault too.

"We have been over this girl. You have two choices here. You can cooperate with giving me information, or I can call the state social workers and have them take you into care until they find your parents."

"Good luck with that one. Mom abandoned me. Dad's dead." She let slip before she caught herself.

To her surprise, the man let out a breath and sat down next to her bed. "I don't know what you have been through. But, I promise that I am trying to help. That is why you are here at the clinic instead of sitting in a cell at the station. You got food and medicine."

She stared at the older man for a long time. "I came to La Push to see if I could find my mother. I don't have anyone else."

Sheriff Call smiled. "What is her name?"

Phyre pulled out a folded piece of paper from her back pocket and handed it to him. It was a copy of her birth certificate.

There was a long silence as the man looked over the paper. He took a deep breath and stood to step out of the room. "Deputy Cameron." Pause. "Jared!"

"Yeah Sheriff." A younger deputy stepped into the room. Holy fucking hell! Phyre's jaw dropped. If the Sheriff was built like a bear, then she had no comparison to the new guy. He looked like he was in his early 20's, well over 6 feet tall, and amazingly ripped. Da-ah-amn! Her body went all tingly at the sight.

He turned to look at her. His head cocked to the side and his eyes narrowed. Not a look of sexual interest, but rather confusion. Did he sniff the air?

* * *

Fine. Whatever. These Tribal Police people are all big and hot. Who fucking cares? It was none of their business putting her in the back of their cruiser to take her to some guys house. What the fuck?

The Deputy Cameron guy was partnered with someone named Quil. Phyre couldn't remember his last name. She didn't care enough to ask. The two sat in silence as they drove the few miles to some house. The sun was just setting as they pulled to a stop. She looked around and realized that the house was across the street from a resort that bordered a beach. Nice location.

They all got out and she quietly followed. Part of her wanted to run. Part of her wanted to hide. But, deep down, she knew that nothing would help. She went to La Push to find her mother. And, talking to this guy was a part of the process.

The two deputies knocked on the front door, however, got no answer.

"He's in the garage." Quil said.

"How the fuck would you know?" Phyre snapped.

The guy stared her down with a wicked grin. "Cuz he is my friend. I know a lot about my friends."

Phyre rolled her eyes and followed the two around to the back of the house toward the garage. From there, there was no beautiful view of the beach or the water. Not even the sunset. The yard was completely surrounded by the woods. The more the sun disappeared, the darker it got, the more creepy it felt. She almost felt like there would be eyes watching from those trees. The only reminder of human life other than the three people walking across the yard was the padded thud of something being hit, repeatedly.

Jared Cameron opened the door without knocking and leaned against the door frame. "I thought it was your wife and Leah that did the kickboxing?"

"Fuck off! It helps." Came the growled response. Phyre's eyes widened at the anger behind such a voice. That was the man that they went there to see? Yet, Deputy Cameron just laughed.

"Seriously man, you are like this every time your wife goes off peninsula without you. When will she be home?" Quil leaned in to comment.

"In two more fucking days!" Phyre could hear the anger being taken out on the punching bag that she could just barely glimpse as it swung from the impact. She gasped.

The noise was enough to draw Quil's attention back to her. "Yeah, so, it's time to let it out and calm down for a sec."

The impacts to the bag continued.

"Paul!" Deputy Cameron called. "Damn it Lahote! We are not here for a social call. If we were, we would be raiding your kitchen and you know that. So, stop and gather yourself."

Phyre looked up at the deputy quickly. She started to tremble. Had he just called that man Lahote? Before Phyre could question anything further, he was there. Paul Lahote was there. At the door. Covered in sweat. Glaring at his supposed friends. Fuck was he intimidating.

"Spit it out!" He demanded.

Jared Cameron tilted his head toward Phyre and she froze.

Paul's head turned toward her. Then his eyes narrowed and his head tilted. The same way that Deputy Cameron's had done when he first saw her. The same way the other one did as well. Creepy much?

Paul took a deep breath. "Who's the girl?"

Quil placed a supportive hand on the man's shoulder. "Apparently, she's your sister."


	2. Chapter 2

What in the fuck did he just say?

Did that man just tell Paul Lahote that Phyre was his sister?

Her mind was racing. She questioned it when Deputy Cameron called him Lahote. The name was related. But, she first thought he was a cousin or uncle or something. Phyre had a brother that she never knew about? What in the hell?

"What ever the girl told you, she's lying." Was all that Paul said and he headed to the back door of the house.

That snapped Phyre out of her confusion. "What in the fucking hell? I didn't say a God damned thing to anyone about you! I don't even know who you are! I was only looking for my fucking mother! I have no idea where these two buffoons came up with this whole brother conspiracy. But, I don't want it. I don't need you. I don't need anyone. I only want my fucking emancipation so that I could be legally an adult and get the fuck out of here!" She screamed at him.

Jared and Quil started laughing. "She sure sounds like she is related to you."

Paul turned around. "You don't know what you are asking for little girl. It's best if you get the hell away from La Push as fast as possible before your life changes and you end up stuck here like the rest of us."

She stormed right up and got in his face. "That is exactly what I am trying to do asshole! Do you think that I want to reconnect with the woman that abandoned me to that drunken, judgmental, authoritative prick who wanted nothing more than a strong son to carry on the fucking Uley name! I was never the child he wanted. Not even my brother was good enough for the man. Yeah! Perfect life of protecting my brother from his abusive bullshit because he happened to be gay. Listening to my brother cry every night because he was bullied at school, just to be beaten for it at home. Fuck! I had to come home from school sick as a dog, just to find my brother dead when he killed himself because our father couldn't man up and love the children he had. Then of all the fucking nerve, the bastard shot himself in front of me because he failed to produce a good heir. I lost them both in one fucking night!"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she finally spoke about what happened the night she left home. But, more than the hurt, was the anger. The rage. It was building as she stared down the man that she just found out was a brother. The man that would rather reject her and call her a liar than even listen to his friends.

"So, no. I don't fucking want to be here. I don't want the family that abandoned me to that hell. I just want to get the fuck out of Washington. So don't you dare take out your family issues on me. Just tell me where I can find Deborah Lahote."

Paul was starting to shake. His anger was spiking as he faced the sister he never knew existed.

"Paul, she is telling the truth. Sheriff Call got the info from Spokane before we headed over. Remember when your mom was pregnant and lost the baby when we were five? She lied to everyone. She never lost the baby. It just wasn't your dad's. So, she left her with her own father... Sam's uncle." Jared spoke calmly. "You both need to calm down. Paul think about what you sensed when you first saw her. Look at her. She is your sister and Sam's cousin. She has the blood. So, calm the fuck down before you push things too far."

Shaking his head, Paul looked up at the other men. "Did you call Sam?"

"We tried. But, we couldn't reach him."

"Stop talking over my head!" Phyre screamed. "Just tell me where Deborah Lahote is so I can leave!" The way they spoke about people as if they were making plans, as if they knew something that she didn't, like she was too young to be included in the conversation about her own damn life... it was pissing her off even more. She was shaking in her rage. She didn't need those people. She didn't need them to decide things for her. She was six months away from turning 18. She just needed a paper to say that she could decide for herself. What in the fuck would six more months change to anyone else?

But, as she worked herself up in her thoughts, their voices faded into the distance. Her fever was spiking again. Her body hurt. Her mind spun. She was so fucking sick and tired of feeling like shit. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. The pain and anger of that night flooded in. She had kept it locked up, refused to think about it, until she yelled at Paul. She hated them all. Her brother for giving up and leaving her behind. Her father for never loving his own children and leaving her with those memories. Her mother for abandoning her to that life. The men around her who argued over what to do with her as if she had no say. She hated them all.

She trembled in that weight. She needed to get out. She wanted to crawl out of her own skin. To release the rage.

Then it happened.

Blinding, searing pain. Everything in her body erupted in the fury of her anger. She screamed in her head.

When it stopped, she opened her eyes to realize that she was on the ground. No, not on the ground, lower than she was. She barely had time to process it when she watched Paul launch himself and turn into a huge fucking wolf before her very eyes. His clothing shredded from all around him as his body grew larger than the fabric could contain.

Phyre wanted to run, but she found that her legs didn't quite want to work right and she fell, to find that she was on legs covered in fur herself. "What in the fucking hell?"

"It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." She could hear Paul's voice in her head.

"Hey Paul! Was that a new voice we heard?" Another voice went skipping through her mind.

Paul growled softly. "Shut up Brady! We have a new member of the pack. I've got her. So, just finish your patrols and keep your minds as blank as possible for a bit, alright?"

"Yeah man." Brady replied.

Phyre was looking around, frantic. She managed to find her way to her legs and started to run off into the trees. However, she only made it a few steps before Paul tackled her back to the ground.

"Don't run." He ordered.

She looked up to the two Deputies. "Please help me."

The two men smiled at her with a hint of sadness. They were not shocked or surprised. They knew what was going on. And, they did nothing to help her.

"They can't hear you." Paul told her. "Those of us in the pack can share a mind link, a pack mind, when we are in wolf form. But, it only works between us in wolf form."

Phyre was ready to fall apart. Her senses were heightened. She could hear things from farther away. See things clearly even in the fading light. Hear the beating of Paul's heart as well as the two police men. She could smell, fuck, everything! She was being hit with too much information. Her body still hurt. Her emotions were raw and exposed. She whimpered.

Paul eased off of her. He nuzzled at her neck and started to lick around her face. Phyre was surprised to find the attention comforting. It helped to focus her mind on one source of information.

"You know. I didn't even get to learn your name." He said sheepishly.

"Phyre." She said, still overwhelmed with the sensations and changes happening so fast.

He nuzzled her neck and licked at her ears. "Seriously? Like a burning Fire?"

"P-h-y-r-e. But, pronounced like fire. It is short for Phyrianna. Phyrianna Uley." She said meekly, completely overwhelmed with everything that was going on.

He sighed. "I am sorry for my anger, Phyre. Our mother left when I was 12. I don't know where she is either. She left me with a negligent drunk too. Though, you didn't have her hit you. So, there is a bonus on your end. She is not much to look up to."

"What in the hell is happening?"

He growled again. "Well, if I wouldn't have been so angry and just answered you, you might have made it out of here without changing. I am really sorry for that. The blunt answer is that you are a werewolf and you just phased for the first time."

Her mom wasn't there and they didn't know where she was. She just turned into a wolf. Everything was raw... Phyre broke down in her grief and anger. Her memories flooded through. Everything that lead to her being there. Paul remained silent. He moved to lay down next to Phyre and stretch his head over her neck in an embrace as he comforted her pain.

They stayed like that for the longest time. Collin and Brady even voiced their sympathies and condolences. Who ever they were. The two Deputies sat down and chatted independently. Phyre really had no idea how long they stayed there, but she emotionally cried herself out. She was drained from the release. However, grateful for Paul's comfort. For a man that she barely knew, he had been there for her when her bubble of denial had burst. And, that meant a lot.

"Did Thomas Uley ever tell you the stories of our tribe?" Paul asked after a while.

"No."

"Figures." He huffed.

"The gist is that we are protectors for our people. We are tied to the lands in a way others are not. But, when our enemies are close by, it triggers a change in those who have a certain gene. Not everyone in the same family will change. But, there is a genetic component."

Phyre furrowed her brows. "Enemies?"

"Cold Ones. I guess you would know them as vampires."

She jumped slightly. "Seriously? Vampires are real? Like sexy immortal love stories and such?"

He growled a lot louder at that. "We are built for killing those leeches. Don't ever romanticize them." He shivered. "However, we do hold a treaty with a local family of vampires that only feed off of animal blood. I am slowly coming around to think they are okay. Mostly because they helped to save my wife twice. But, that will be a story for another time."

"But, if I left before this happened, would I have become a wolf elsewhere?" She asked hesitantly.

"I just saw your memories Phyre. You were sick in Spokane, you were triggered there. So, it was fortunate you made it here before the shift. My rejection just tipped it over. Again, I am sorry. There is usually some level of rage associated with triggering the first phase. Not sure if it is an effect of the change or a trigger. Maybe a little of both. So, it is possible that you would not change if you were not emotional at the same time."

Paul stood up again and licked at her face. "You seem to be calming down now. You might be able to change back to human. Though, I will warn you, you will be naked."

"Ugh! Seriously?"

He chuckled. "You will get used to it. I keep a small bin of shorts at the back of the garage so that I can wear something when I get home. Everyone has a stash, plus extras in places."

"How many wolves are there?"

"About a dozen. You make the second girl. And, I will keep the perverts from trying anything with you. Though, be prepared for the porn show through the pack mind. We are guys after all. We think about sex a lot." To emphasize the point, several scenes filtered through before Paul got a handle on it again. He walked over to Quil and Jared and pushed at their hips to turn around.

"Oh, shit. Yeah." Quil blushed.

"Alright, try to calm yourself down and think about being human again." Paul encouraged.

Phyre took several deep breaths before she felt her body shift. It was no where near as painful as the first time. Uncomfortable, but not painful. Before she knew it, she was laying on the cold ground with her bare skin. She looked up to see Paul shift as well.

He looked straight into her eyes. "Good job. Let me grab you a blanket until you get used to being seen naked." He stood up unabashedly and strolled into his house in full naked glory. Hell, if he wasn't Phyre's brother, she would be admiring the view. But, ew!

"You wanna hurry up!" Jared called. "You know we'll see her eventually anyway."

Phyre could hear the growl from the house. "I take it you two are wolves as well?"

"Yup." Answered Quil. "The only two wolves in the Police. And, the Sheriff really hates it if we shred up our uniforms. So, kinda try not to phase while working, unless we absolutely have to."

"Or just take them off first." She grumbled. Quil chuckled and shrugged. Phyre really wouldn't mind seeing him take it all off. Yummy. Deputy Cameron really wasn't bad either.

She was honestly surprised that those two were not trying to sneak a peak early. Maybe it was because they were cops and she was underage. It was just strange. She was used to men being pervs. She spent most of her summers working as a lifeguard for the pools, and it didn't matter if she was underage or how old the men were, they always stared or tried to get in a grab. Yuck! Okay, okay, she realized that she was being a hypocrite. Leering a little at Quil who was a few years older. But, hey, younger to older was a much better direction for such things.

* * *

Once inside, Paul went to the laundry room and pulled out a pair of black leggings and an "Avenged Sevenfold" concert t-shirt. Phyre raised a brow. "You like metal?"

Paul gave a half laugh and took the t-shirt back. "That is my wife's and she will kill me if you ruin it. So, how about one of mine?" He handed her a simple grey shirt in it's place. Then, he lead her to the bathroom to change and clean up. She could hear their conversation down the hall.

"Well, Leah will be happy to have another girl." Jared said.

Paul growled. "I don't want to force this kid to stay if she doesn't want to stay."

"You know as well as we do, that the emotions of the change are a roller coaster ride for the first few weeks. She could blow up just because someone knocks into her at the store. She needs to stay at least long enough to know she can control the wolf before she exposes everyone." Quil added.

Fucking hell. She was stuck there? Her anger was starting to spike and she started to shake. Paul rushed into the room to wrap his arms around her. "Hey. I am not making decisions for you. Quil was right, you do need to stay for a bit though, to learn to control this. After that, I will help you with whatever you decided to do." His hands rubbed circles into her back until she stopped shaking.

He hooked his knuckle under her chin to raise her face so he could look in her eyes. "Phyre. I promise. I am sorry that I didn't want to believe you at first. But, you are my sister. I will do what I can to help you. You just have to get control first." She silently nodded. "Besides, you are already showing more control than most. This won't take you to long."

"How long did it take you?" She whispered.

He sighed. "Three weeks before I could face the world again. Years to really get better control. But, that was my wife's doing."

Phyre let out a long slow breath.

"I am not saying three weeks from now. The first two weeks were the sickness, the fevers and body pains as I grew. I barely stayed conscious. Then, it was my first phase. That took me three days just to be able to return to human. You are past the sickness. And, it only took you a couple of hours to let out your emotions and calm enough. I am serious. You are doing better than I did." Then he left the room again to let her change. He grew while he was sick? That explains why her jeans didn't fit anymore. She had been living in yoga pants for weeks. Hells bells. And, she really didn't feel calm. Exhausted. But, not calm.

Her stomach growled as she walked out of the bathroom and toward the living room. "Yeah, being a wolf makes you really hungry." Quil chuckled. "That is why we ordered pizzas. Two each. Plus dessert." He smiled.

God did that sound good!


	3. Chapter 3

The four wolves sat around the table and ate their pizza and chocolate dessert.

"Alright Phyre. I know you were hoping to get your mom to sign off on emancipation. However, without her signature, you are still a minor. We have to contact Social Services." Jared finally broached the subject that none of them wanted to talk about.

"You do, I'll run." Phyre answered without looking at him.

Paul scoffed. "You are too new to this kid. We would be able to track you down before you got a couple of miles. Stay here. I am family and we are tribe, Social Services wouldn't have any grounds to deny that you stay with me."

She dropped the slice of pizza away from her mouth. "Is that an order?" She arched a brow.

Paul's lips twisted up in a wicked grin. "I can make it one. But, no. It is the smart choice. It get's Social Services off your back. You don't have to live off of whatever shit you can fit in your pockets. And, we can work together on tracking down dear old mother to still try to get your emancipation if you want."

There really was no logical reason to reject his offer. Though she was unconvinced that Paul's anger issues wouldn't be more of the same shit as their parents. And, she would not let herself be subjected to that again. With a careful eye, she watched him. Waiting to see if he got angry when she tried to defy him. But, to her surprise, he didn't. He just waited. So, she shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. For now. But, no promises about later."

"Yeah. She is really your sister, Lahote." Quil chuckled again. Then he stopped and looked up. "Fuck."

Paul growled. "I already thought about it Quil."

Eyes wide as she looked around. "Now what?"

A long, slow breath was released as Paul obviously thought about what to say next. "Our mom." He started. "Our mom was a Uley before she married my dad."

"What? She married my dad first?" Phyre was puzzled as she looked at her new brother.

He shook his head. "She was your dad's cousin."

"Aww, hell no!" She yelled.

The boys grabbed her up and threw her into the back yard just seconds before she burst into wolf form once again.

Paul took his time to remove his clothing that time and joined in as Phyre was on a long rant of curse words that would make a sailor blush.

"Welcome back Phyre!" Collin called out over the pack mind. "Hey Paul, does Sam know yet?"

"Pipe it Collin. Sam will know as soon as I can get Phyre calm enough to get there."

Phyre growled at the silver grey wolf in front of her.

Paul tilted his head at her. She really was a part of their family. "Yeah, maybe a run would help you clear your head. Stay here for a sec while I let the guys know the plan." Then Paul phased back into human form to let Jared and Quil know that he was going to take her for a run over to Sam's. They said that they were off shift soon anyway, so they would report back to the Sheriff and let him call Social Services. Then, they would meet up at Sam and Emily's house.

* * *

It felt good to run.

Every wolf found some measure of solace in running. The warm push of the muscles, the wind in their fur, the way the world fell away.

Phyre found that she was no different. She appreciated being able to get out for a run. More than that, she found a kind of high from it. Though, she was still unsettled by the internal instincts that didn't always agree with her mind. Paul had said that it was her inner wolf. Her more animal nature. And, at times, it was truly it's own separate mind with different drives and needs. However, most of the time, the inner wolf and the human could find balance. Running was something that they could both agree on. Soothing. Freeing. Independence.

Paul remained quiet. Only a few thoughts about his wife and daughter. Phyre had pieced it together to learn that he was very protective of his wife. Anna had a difficult past as well. And, they had a daughter named Rory. Phyre liked that name, Rory. She was around six months old. But, Anna and the baby had gone to Redmond to visit some family friends or something for a little boys birthday. Paul hated to let them go alone, but he had some other commitments that kept him in town. However, because Phyre was there, he had missed calling to say goodnight to the baby and thought about asking Anna to wait to come home until Phyre was under more control.

She felt guilty for uprooting his life. As angry as she was at everyone, for everything, right then; she really didn't want to cause a problem for them.

"Don't." Paul cut off her thoughts.

"Don't what?" Phyre replied.

He growled. "Don't feel bad about my family."

Phyre had forgotten about the pack mind. Her thoughts were out there for him to see just as much as his had been to her.

"But, you miss them. And, that is my fault."

Paul jumped in front of her. "Anna knows about the wolves. She knows the risks if she was to be too close to you when you phased. For some reason, she can calm my rage. But, I seriously doubt that she would have the same effect on you. It is dangerous for someone to be too close." Then a memory of Emily Uley popped over the link. Of how she and Sam had been fighting when he phased and scarred her face. "It is for Anna's protection as well as yours, that she not be home for a while. I love her. But, you are family now too. So, I will do everything that I can to take care of both of you. Got it?"

Phyre lowered herself to Paul. She just didn't know how to handle it all yet. Part of her wanted to trust him and follow his lead on this. That was the part that forced her lower physically. Her wolf instinctively submissive to his more dominant position within the pack. But, there was still a burning anger, a need to defy him. After years of being ordered around like she was a worthless slave just to do the cooking and cleaning around the house, she didn't want to take that shit any more. She wanted to go out late, get drunk, do drugs, have shit tons of sex, and anything else that was never allowed before.

She could feel Paul roll his eyes. "Damn, you are like me. I used to stay out, get shit faced, and sleep around a whole hell of a lot too." He shook his head. "No drugs though. Wouldn't recommend that avenue, ever. Especially as a wolf."

Phyre slowly stood again. "So does that mean that you are okay if I do the same?"

"Of course not!" He snarled. "Maybe some drinking, in moderation since the wolf metabolism is so high. But, the rest..." He visibly shuddered.

* * *

They broke through the treeline outside the property of a quaint little cottage. Phyre couldn't hear anyone in the house, but she could hear people several yards away, down on the beach close by.

Paul phased when he reached a basket on the porch with a collection of shorts and one dress for Leah to use. He threw on some shorts and held out the dress for Phyre. It took her a minute before she was able to phase back to human again. Then she pulled the dress over her head.

Phyre groaned. "My hair is such a mess."

"Yeah. Everyone ends up cutting theirs short because of how much phasing tangles it all up. Then if you phase in the trees, it gets caught." Paul smirked. Phyre rolled her eyes. Just another change coming. Great. "Come on. This way."

Sam, Emily, Jake, and Billy Black were sitting on logs around a small fire. Phyre recognized them from one of Paul's memories of the pack when he had helped to explain the wolf thing.

"Paul. Who have you brought with you." Sam arched a brow. He could sense it already. Sam and Jake stiffened slightly.

Paul stopped by the log ring. He wrapped a protective arm around Phyre. "Sam, Jake, let me introduce you to Phyrianna. Though, she prefers Phyre." Dead silence. "And, wait, this gets better... she just phased, and her parents were my mother and your uncle Thomas."

"Excuse me?" Sam growled.

Phyre sighed. "Well, fuck. If you are going to go all denial of the seventh level of hell on me just like cromag man over here, I'll just leave."

Jake couldn't hold in the laugh completely. He nearly choked as he tried not to break down.

Sam stood up, but Paul placed himself in front of Phyre. "You heard what I said Sam. This isn't April Fool's. You can smell that she is wolf. She phased when I made the mistake of trying to deny her as well. But, she has been through enough the past couple of weeks just to get here. Fuck, she went through the whole sickness while dealing with the death of her brother and father, then trying to hitchhike her way here and living off of whatever some sleazy trucker would feed her or she could steel from truck stops in between her days of unconsciousness. Days where she slept on the top of gas stations to try to hide and not be raped while she was out cold. So, don't you dare make this harder on her." Damn, he really did see all of her memories.

Sam shook in the anger as he had been called out. He was the alpha and demanded respect. Phyre could sense it. He took one step forward and then spun on his heels to head the opposite direction. He had only made it a few yards before he heard the girl whimper.

He turned to see her turn and run, shifting into wolf in the process. She was beautiful. Dark grey mixed with heavy saddles of black.

Phyre could hear them call after her. But, she did not stop. It was too much. Just too much. She lost her family. The family that didn't want her. Then, she finds out that she is a fucking wolf! And, she met a brother that she never knew she had. He said he wanted her, but she was messing up his life and his family. Then, there was the cousin who just turned his back on her. Fuck!

Why did it all have to hurt so much? She couldn't understand it. How could she have allowed herself to have any hope? No one wanted her before. Why would they want her now? Not as family. Not as part of the pack. No one would ever want her. It was stupid to even try.

She ignored the voices. Her own ranting filled her head. Memories of all the times when her father had said worse. The times when kids at school said worse. She didn't care what the kids said to her. But, her brother. Her sweet, loving, generous brother. How could no one else love him for who he was? How could he not see how much she loved him? How could he not see how much she needed him too? And, he left her. Everyone turned their backs on her eventually.

Her wolf tried to listen as Collin and Brady were yelling in her head to go back. To calm down. But, she pushed them out. She couldn't listen to phantom voices. She never met them. Hell, she didn't even know Paul all that well. She was alone.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care. She just ran, as hard as she could. She needed to find a way to leave. She would be better on her own.

There, through the trees, she found an answer. It was a garage. There had to be a vehicle that worked in there. So what if she would be graduating from shop lifting to grand theft auto at that point? She just needed to get out of dodge as fast as possible without the fucking pack mind shit.

Phyre was only vaguely aware that Paul and Sam were running toward her. They knew the garage and how to get there. So, she tried her best to calm down. She couldn't drive a car as a wolf. Calm the fuck down. Damn, why wasn't it working? Breath. One. Two. Three. Four...

Yes!

She ran up the door that was propped open. Once inside, she went digging around for keys to anything that looked like it could still run.

"Hey Embry, is that you?" A voice called out as a boy walked in and froze.

Damn, he was as good looking as the other guys she had met. Only this one was younger, closer to her age. With no shirt on! Dear lord, those muscles! And, she could sense that he was turned on. Fuck, she could see his erection spring to life as she realized that she was still naked.

Phyre was still on such an emotional roller coaster ride she didn't even think about it. She just attacked him. She sure as hell couldn't explain why she was naked in a business she had no reason to be in at whatever time of night. All she could do was hope he was like every other horny young man and forgets his own name when getting to touch a naked girl.

She latched her lips onto his and started untying the work coveralls that were wrapped around the guys waist. His lips parted and his tongue delved into her mouth. Oh God! He tasted divine. His hands swept across her back and down to her ass as he pulled her toward him more. Her body flooded with heat as her own mind fought to remember her purpose. But, before she could figure out a way to lose the guy and get the car, he dropped lower to hook her knees up and wrap her legs around his waist. Her core pressed against the erection that was only covered by his boxers. No other clothing remained between them. Just burning skin to burning skin.

To hell with it. She needed this. The connection. To feel wanted. To feel like she was making her own choices. To hell with the so called adults and what they all wanted her to do. At that point, she couldn't remember why she was there anyway. His lips had sucked the last of her logic or reason away. Lips that wanted her to be there, at least for a little while.

She felt the cold metal of a car under her ass as he set her down and leaned her back against the hood of the vehicle. Fuck, she was so damn hot and ready.

His lips finally left hers to trail kisses and nips along her neck as she purred. Her hands ran along the rises and valleys of his well defined muscles.

"Not that I am complaining here..." He breathed against her skin. "But, what exactly is this about?"

"Does it matter?" She gasped. Sliding her hand into his boxers to caress his very swollen manhood. His moan was more than enough encouragement to continue. Phyre had only made out with a guy before. It was not a pleasant experience. And, she had never had sex. That garage held a whole new world of experience and pleasure. Though a small part of her was still rational enough to realize that she didn't want her first time with a stranger, she couldn't think of anything hotter than the man she was with and the way he touched her. He wanted her. No one had ever wanted her before without hurting her.

Just as she managed to get his boxers to fall from his waist, another man walked into the garage. "Seth, where did... What in the fuck man?" The guy started laughing as he caught his co-worker in such a position. But, all laughter stopped.

Phyre had turned her head to see who had walked in. Another overly tall, well muscled Quileute man. But, it wasn't his muscles that made Phyre freeze at the sight of him. It was his eyes. Brown eyes that held an amber glow to them, like iced tea in a glass, where light didn't just shine on them, but through them. Everything fell away. All of her pain, her anger, her need to feel connected. She was connected. To him. And only him.

"Aww, no, no, no, no, no. Fuck. Embry! You can't be serious right now." The guy pulled away from between Phyre's thighs. That drew Embry and Phyre back to the situation they found themselves in.


	4. Chapter 4

It was official. Phyre was losing her mind.

She went from trying to run away by stealing a car, to trying to fuck a guy on the hood of said car, to still being naked while the guy that she just had some freaky magical eye connection with tried to kill the man that was about to have sex with. Seriously, what girl loses all mental connections and jumps into losing her virginity like that? And, that is not adding the part about her mother and father being cousins, gaining some long lost brother, or the whole wolf business. Straight jacket, party for one please!

She didn't know what in the hell the fight was over exactly except that the naked guy kept apologizing and saying that he didn't know. The other one just repeated that he was gonna kill him. Not much to go on.

Phyre let out a breath and grabbed the coveralls off the floor from where they fell off of the one guy and she went back to work trying to find keys to the car so she could book out of the crazy town she was in. That, however, was a short lived endeavor as Sam and Paul burst into the garage as well. Both them them letting it all hang out, naked.

"Get the hell away from me!" She shouted. "I don't need you. Either of you. Fuck, I don't need anyone!"

Embry stopped trying to pummel Seth further and ran over to the girls side to protect her from his alpha.

"Embry, step aside." Sam barked.

"Like hell I will. Not if she doesn't want you near her." He stated defiantly. That caught Sam off guard.

"Embry. Move. Now. Before she phases and hurts you." Sam used his alpha command.

Embry whimpered as he did what he was ordered to do. But, it was hard. He looked back at the girl to see her shaking in her anger.

"Shit! She's one of us?" Seth questioned. "That explains why she was naked."

Phyre backed up until her back hit the wall. She was cornered. She had no where else to go. Her heart was racing. Her panic set back in. In moments, she was in wolf form once more. Pieces of the coveralls fell to the floor around her.

She immediately looked at Embry. She didn't know why, but his opinion mattered to her. She just didn't want him to be scared. But, to her relief, she saw his jaw drop. "Your beautiful." Her wolf purred at his compliment. She could hear Brady and Collin snickering over what they saw through her. But, she paid them no attention. Her only focus was on Embry. That is what they called him. Embry.

"What in the fuck was that Embry?" Paul growled.

Embry didn't listen. His face split into a wide grin as he approached Phyre and knelt down in front of her. She pressed her muzzle into his hand and he pressed his forehead against her's. Moments later, she was cradled in his lap, human again. And, once again naked.

"You didn't!" Paul roared.

"Paul, you are not helping. Now what happened?" Sam asked briskly.

Seth whimpered. Embry ignored everyone but the girl in his arms. Phyre let the tears flow once more. She hated the emotional roller coaster ride. But, his comfort and acceptance overwhelmed her.

"Seth..." Sam prompted.

He hedged as much as he could before Sam pushed harder. "I just came in from the store room. And, she was here. And naked. And..." Paul growled dangerously at where it was headed.

"Well, she threw herself at me. Literally. It was all naked skin and hot kisses. And, well, fuck! Then, just when... right before... Ugh! Embry walked in to find us. But... damn it, he fucking imprinted on her! While we were... I'm so dead!"

Paul spun on Seth faster than Sam had time to stop. Phyre watched through her tears as that poor kid took three more punches from Paul after he had already taken so many from Embry. By the time Sam got Paul off of Seth, Paul tried to turn toward Embry. However, Sam stood in his way.

"Look Lahote. I know this is my fault. I shouldn't have walked away earlier. But, Embry is calming her. Let him." Sam pleaded. Then, once Paul calmed enough, Sam reached out a hand to Seth. "You okay?"

Seth just whimpered. "How was I supposed to know he would imprint on _**her**_? At that moment?"

"Kid, you got dealt a bad hand tonight."

"Fuck me." Seth hung his head.

Phyre couldn't resist the words that fell from her lips as a whisper. "I almost did." Seth glanced back up and grinned before he quickly wiped it away.

Multiple growls erupted from the room. Including from Embry. Phyre pulled back to look at him. "Does that mean you are a wolf too?" He smiled and nodded.

She nuzzled back into his chest. "Don't take offense, but I want off this ride now. I don't think that I can handle much more at this point."

Embry's face scrunched up. "Sorry love. Looks like we are going from the frying pan into the fire." Did he call her love? And, damn did that sound nice. It made her warm and gooey inside. But, she did not like the sound of what he said.

He leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "You know, I don't know your name yet."

"Phyre."

He chuckled. "Well Phyre, looks like you get to meet my father, he's walking in now."

She heard the sound of footsteps through the office. "But, I am still naked." She panicked.

He nodded. "Not enough time. Worst parent introductions ever." He quickly maneuvered himself to cover as much of her as possible.

"Embry. You ready? Your mother is waiting..." Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding! The father of the werewolf that Phyre was cuddled with, naked, was none other than Sheriff Call. "And... not what I was expecting to see in here." He groaned. He looked up at the others, including Seth who had only been able to return his boxers since Phyre stole his coveralls, before they ripped apart. Though Sam and Paul were still naked. "Wolf business I am guessing?"

"Yup." That was all Sam could say.

The Sheriff nodded. Awkward!

"Dad, meet Phyre." Embry started.

"Miss Uley." The Sheriff cut off. "Well, I suppose the lack of clothing prevents you from shop lifting again today."

Phyre blushed as she groaned, turning into Embry's chest further. Embry laughed as he hugged her closer. "Shop lifting? You met my dad today because of shop lifting? Wait, Uley?"

She reached up and tried to cover his mouth. "This is embarrassing enough." She whined.

"I am taking it, Miss Uley is your new girlfriend?" The Sheriff asked Embry with a hint of disapproval.

To which Embry growled. "No. Not girlfriend. Imprint. You will not speak about her that way."

Phyre looked up at Embry with wide eyes. No one had ever defended her like that before. Paul had tried to stop Sam from turning his back on her. But, it wasn't the same as that kind of defense of character. Why? How? They just met. Did he feel the connection too? Her thoughts all collided.

"Hold up. What do you mean imprint?"

Groans echoed around the room.

"Seriously here. Can someone get the girl clothing?" Sheriff Call questioned.

Paul shook his head. "She has already been through four sets tonight. She is too new and too emotional."

"That was why Sue and I sent her to you. We recognized the signs. But, she is underage, she should be covered." The Sheriff said pointedly.

"She is a wolf. We can't help the nudity much." Sam stated just as directly. "Thank the ancestors she is over the age of consent at least."

Phyre groaned. "Fine. I am naked. I am kind of getting used to it. I guess. Though a towel or something to at least cover parts would be appreciated. Now answer my question. What is this imprint thing?"

Embry sighed. "It is kind of a wolf form of soulmates. The first time that a wolf looks into the eyes of their imprint, a shift happens. They become the anchor that holds them to the earth. The wolf would do anything to protect their imprint and see them taken care of. They would be whatever the imprint needs. A friend, a protector, a lover. Life long devotion."

She looked in his eyes as he talked. His bright ambered brown meeting her deep chocolate eyes. She felt so much commitment and sincerity in what he said. "You felt that when you looked at me?" He nodded. She smiled. "I did too."

"What the hell? I don't even get one day to protect my new found sister from sleazy men, and she is in the arms of Call?" Paul ranted. "This is seriously disturbing on way too many levels."

"She's your sister?" Seth squeaked. "Oh fucking hell. I'm never gonna live tonight down."

Sam chuckled. "It's worse Seth. She's my cousin."

Seth's eyes popped up and search for any hint of a joke and his face broke down into absolute agony. His shoulders slumped and he shuffled his way out of the garage and into the office to find other clothes before leaving for the night. Phyre really felt bad for him. It was all her fault. She flung herself at him, to manipulate a chance at stealing a car. She was the one who lost herself in the need for a connection, not just turning him on, but practically begging him to fuck her. He was literally seconds away from sliding into her body. Just to have his world crash down and he got the shit beat out of him twice for it and pissed off three guys. She wished she knew a way to ease that blow.

"Yeah, I think we have all been thrown for some serious loops tonight. Why don't we all get a break and figure everything out in the morning?" Sam said calmly.

Paul found a sheet in one of the back rooms for Phyre to wrap herself in. He put on a pair of coveralls and asked the Sheriff for a ride home.

Embry sat in the back with Phyre wrapped protectively in his arms while Paul rode shot gun. It was a very quiet ride back to Paul's house. Embry and Phyre had a difficult time letting go of one another, it took both the Sheriff and Paul to convince them to go their separate ways for the night.

"I am really happy that I met you tonight Phyre." Embry whispered. There was something more that Embry wanted to say, but he held back. Phyre could see it, but didn't push.

"I am too Embry. Even if it was all seriously fucked up." He started to growl, but she quickly kissed his cheek.

As soon as they walked in, Paul showed Phyre to a spare room. Then he went to his room to call his wife and fill her in on his hours of hiatus.

Phyre started to unpack her backpack that she had carried with her. A subzero mummy style sleeping bag hung on the outside. That bag had helped her to survived her slow trip to La Push. Through days of being too sick to move, sleeping on roof tops of places so that she would be hidden from anyone, and hoped she did not get soaked by the rain. Inside were only a handful of clothes. The jeans didn't even fit anymore. But, she didn't care about that, she was digging for something more valuable. Tucked safely away at the bottom of the bag was a photo album. She pulled it out and ran a finger of over the pictures of her brother. She grabbed it, knowing that she would want it. But, she could not bring herself to look at it before that moment. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to only remember him when he smiled.

"Well Jax, have I got a story to tell you." Phyre cried as she verbally told her brother about how she went to La Push, became a wolf and imprinted on some guy. "I am so sorry you couldn't come with me. I think you would have liked it here." She kissed his picture and set the album on the night stand so that it was open to show her favorite photo of a happy looking boy.

Phyre laid in the bed, her mind racing. So much had happened in 24 hours. So much to come to terms with. Yet, through it all, her mind kept wandering it's way back to Embry and his bright brown eyes. Her chest was tight at his absence. She wanted to run back to his arms and stay there forever.

* * *

Sleep was a difficult thing to find. Even harder to keep. Phyre tossed and turned all night. She still felt the fevers and the body aches of the sickness, though the severity had diminished quite a bit after her first transition. Nightmares raged through her mind when she could drift off. Memories of her brother and father as they both died.

By 4am, Phyre just gave up on sleep. So, she tip toed her way down stairs and out the back door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Paul grumbled from the door way.

Phyre dropped her shoulders. How did he get there without her hearing? "I was going to try to turn wolf. Just run. Not run away. I would come back. But, just run. It felt good before." And maybe try to find Embry, if that wasn't at all creepy and stalkerish.

Paul nodded his head. "It does help clear the mind. But, it won't solve everything."

"Is that why you keep punching bags and people?" She snarked back.

A sly grin spread across his lips. "That does help too." He stretched out a hand with a cup of coffee. Phyre accepted the warm bitter liquid. "The truth is that I am a lot like you. Angry. Feel that I have something that I need to prove. Don't want to show weakness, so when people look like they will let me down, I lash out or take off before they can succeed. This pack, my wife, and daughter are the only things in my life that give me a sense of purpose and stability."

"Is she your imprint?"

The love on his face was the kind that she had only seen in epic romances on the big screen. It warmed her heart. "Yes. She is my imprint. And, when an imprint is too far away for the wolf to watch over them, it causes added stress. My anxiety goes up and I have a much shorter fuse. Thus, the punching bags earlier. But, when she is here, I feel more grounded. I know that I have someone who supports me, who I don't have to fear showing my flaws too, that I know will never abandon me. Most importantly, I know that she is safe."

"She sounds wonderful." Phyre whispered.

Paul shook his head. "I am not telling you just to boast about my wife. It is a lesson on imprints." He sat down on the top step that lead from the door. "That is the kind of support and love you will get from Embry if you stay and welcome him into your life. The kind that I am sure you feel for him to some extent already. But, if you choose to leave, that anxiety and tightness in your chest of not having him here with you now, it will grow. It could be crippling to you both."

She sat next to him. "So, I don't have a choice anymore. I am stuck here." Her voice was laced with bitterness.

He wrapped a supportive arm around her. "You still have a choice. And, I will support you in your choice. Even if I really hope that you choose to stay where I can get to know you better. But, you needed to know exactly whats at stake before you made that choice." He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her temple.

"But, if you are so angry when your wife is not here, how are you so nice right now?"

Paul chuckled. "Protective instinct. My wolf got rather pissed off at me when I upset you unnecessarily. Best to work at helping instead of hurting. But, trust me, it is taking a shit ton of effort to do it."

Phyre shoved at him playfully.

"I ain't kidding." He growled.

"Fine. I believe you. Can we go for a run now?" Phyre begged.


	5. Chapter 5

It took Phyre a while before she learned how to phase into her wolf by choice. Until that point, all of her transitions to wolf were at moments of extreme emotion. But, Paul had been patient and helped her through consciously choosing to phase.

Once she settled into her form, she took a deep breath. The pack mind connected and she could sense others there, but she didn't know who.

"Welcome back Phyre." She heard a voice. She recognized it, but couldn't place it.

"And, help me out here with names." She replied.

She heard a chuckle. "Deputy Quil Ateara. We met earlier when I helped Jared take you over to Paul's."

"Yeah, Deputy Quil."

"Just Quil. I am not one for formalities."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Jake, why are you on patrol now? I thought you were off."

Jake scoffed. "Yeah, Seth was supposed to be on. Sam called and said Seth was out. So, here I am. Don't know why yet."

Phyre couldn't help the memories from the events in the garage from coming to mind. All of it. Her reasons. What happened. Her regret that Seth got hurt for it. The imprint with Embry.

"Oh dear God!" Jake started laughing. Quil was none to quiet about his laughter at Embry and Seth's expense either.

Paul groaned. "Phyre, we need to work on your filters. You don't have to think of everything here. You can learn to build walls where you don't think of certain things while in the mind link."

Phyre stopped running. Suddenly, she felt like she was screwing things up even more.

"Lahote!" A new voice rang across the pack mind, a female voice. "Why in the fuck does my brother look like he got run over by a truck?"

"That is my fault." Phyre said quietly. "Tell him I am sorry."

"Who in the fuck are you?" She snapped.

Paul growled. "Leah, stop. She is new and emotional. Phyre, this is Leah, Seth's sister. Leah, this is Phyre. **_My_** sister."

Leah jumped out of the bushes in front of Paul and Phyre. "I don't care who the fuck your brother is girl. What did you do to mine?"

Paul slid into the space between the two female wolves. He snarled and bared his teeth at Leah.

"I, I- I was..." Then the memories played through once more. "I'm sorry."

Phyre turned and ran through the forest once again. Leah, just another person to hate her. Seth probably did too. And, she knew that Sheriff Call was not thrilled with her. Even Sam had gone after her, but had not talked to her or accepted her. Everything jumbled together.

A large brown wolf jumped into her path. "Phyre, hold up. Please." It was Quil. He walked over and nuzzled at Phyre's neck and laid his head across her shoulders in a similar fashion to what Paul had done earlier in the night. It helped Phyre calm down a little. She still didn't feel like she belonged but at least not everyone hated her.

"Damn it Leah. I told you she was too emotional for your shit now. She is running on pure reaction. If we are calm, she can stay in control. But, if you push her, she falls apart. She doesn't have strength in her walls because she hasn't finished grieving." Paul ranted at the female wolf once he had her pinned down. Leah was fast, but Paul was stronger in an up close fight.

"Since when did you become the calm one in this pack?" She snarled at him.

"I simply need to be. She is my sister. I need to protect her. And, I can't do that on a rage. Period." Paul put it out there very clear and concise.

Quil chuckled softly. "Married life has been good to you brother."

Paul scoffed. "Whatever Dr. Phil."

"Sounds like you are trying to take that title from me." Quil threw back.

"Oh no. If anything, I am Dr. Drew. Addictions and sex. That I can give advice about." Paul stated proudly.

Phyre quietly interjected. "I think that we all learned how fucked up I am at it all. So, go ahead oh brother guru, tell me how screwed up I am." She slumped.

Quil pulled back and looked at Phyre and pushed her to lay down. "I know this might get my ass kicked later, but seriously girl, what are you talking about? You are grieving, you have a damn good excuse for messing up a bit. And, I am sorry Seth was so badly cock blocked with probably the most awkward imprint scenario in history. Which considering I imprinted on a two year old says a lot. But, had Embry not walked in when he did, that was some fucking hot action. I am fairly certain you will play a leading role in Seth's wet dreams for years to come. You have absolutely no room to criticize yourself over that. In fact, if you and I weren't both imprinted, I would so be begging to finish that piece of naughtiness with you."

"Quil!" Everyone shouted. Except Phyre who blushed inside.

Quil licked her face and went back to resting his head on the base of her neck, across her shoulders. "It's a good thing that I am a good friend to Embry and wouldn't take advantage of his imprint like that, huh?" He chuckled.

Phyre rubbed her face against his shoulder. "Thank you."

In the warmth of his comfort, Phyre finally found asleep.

* * *

"I never should have kept you two!" Thomas ranted.

Tears ran down Phyre's face. "Daddy, please. Don't do this now."

The words stung more than the slap to her face. "Don't you fucking tell me what to do you worthless bitch. Hell, your own mother didn't even want you. She didn't want the reminder of how much of a slut she really was. Dumped you off on me like I gave a shit about a girl. Now get back to cleaning that mess up!"

Thomas Uley's words slurred as the alcohol had settled in 30 minutes prior. The stench of it caused bile to rise in Phyre's throat. But, she fought it down for as long as she could. The second the police left the house after completing their initial investigation into her brother's suicide, her father had forced her to go clean up the bloodied bathroom while he drank bottle after bottle.

She was so sick. Phyre had to fight to stay up and functioning. Her skin so hot that the cool tiles of the bathroom sent chills through her as she sat over the toilet, dry heaving from the memory of her beautiful brother. He had chosen to slit his wrists the long and deadly way. More blood. More permanent. But, directly choosing a method that their father would have seen as girly and weak. She understood the choice of method. A final rebellion for the gay son of a man who couldn't tolerate anything less than his idea of masculine perfection. She just couldn't understand why he gave up, why he left her.

The memory of his blue skin and dark red blood. She dry heaved once again.

Phyre had been sick for four days. The school had tried to send her home before, but she knew her father would not take it well. He never believed that she was really sick. He said she was just lazy and trying to get out of her responsibilities. But, by the fourth day, the school nurse said that she could not attend classes until Phyre had a doctor's note saying that she had been seen and was not contagious. Pff. Like she would see a doctor?

"Lazy fucking whore. Why haven't you finished cleaning the mess your brother made?" Her father fired from the doorway. "Not that it fucking matters anyway. The police said they would call Social Services. I know you. You will lie your ass off and tell them that I am just a monster. Then, they will take you away. Why in the hell did I ever bother? The ancestors hate me. They never chose me to be a protector. They never saw me as special. Now, they won't even give me a strong son to carry that family honor. Nothing but pansies and whores. My brother got everything he wanted. I was the first born. That should have been my honor." His words drifted, getting softer in volume as he spiraled into his self pity over an unfulfilled dream of unrealistic expectations.

Phyre couldn't do anything but sit there and listen. Her body hurt too much. Her head was too unfocused in it's grief.

Thomas turned from the bathroom and headed toward the living room. As he turned, Phyre caught the light reflecting off of metal. Fuck, he had a gun! Did he walk into the bathroom, planning to kill her? She started to tremble. Fear. Panic raced through her. Until she realized that he had left. She slowly pulled herself up to see where her father had gone. But, as she took a step into the living room, she looked straight at him with the gun in his mouth.

There was no time left for her to even utter a sound as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

"No!" Phyre screamed as she woke from her sleep. Her memories still fresh as they played in her nightmares. Her heart raced and her body trembled.

"Shhhh. Phyre, we're here. Shhh. You are safe."

"Phyre. God, what do I do to help? I am here."

Paul and Embry had both slept next to Phyre in wolf form. Both woke to her screams and memories. Both tried to comfort her in her grief and pain.

Embry moved from where he was next to her, so that he could lick at her face and nuzzle her.

Phyre slowly regained some sense of composure enough to look at her surroundings. She had fallen asleep in the woods. In wolf form. Fuck. The wolf thing wasn't a dream. She whimpered.

"It's okay, your not alone." A voice carried over the pack mind as a grey wolf with black spots licking at her face and pressing his forehead to hers.

The pieces finally locked together. "Embry?"

He nuzzled further. "Yeah. Are you alright?"

Phyre shook her head. A very faint 'no' passed through the mind. She didn't know how to deal with everything. She could feel Embry's heart breaking for her. He wanted to help. She just didn't know how he could.

Embry inched closer to her, so that he could wrap his head and neck around hers, licking at her ears. Phyre could sense another wolf coming toward them. She tensed, but but did not feel the same reaction from Paul or Embry, only a low growl from Paul.

"I am sorry Phyre." Leah's voice carried over as she stepped forward. "I pushed too hard. You will learn, that it is a bit of a wolf thing. But, you are not alone." The slightly smaller, light grey wolf laid down against Phyre on the side opposite from Paul. Together, the three wolves comforted their newest pack member.

"When did you get here Embry?" Phyre asked softly after she started to regain control of her emotions.

"About an hour ago. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would run. But, I felt Paul in the link. Came here instead of the run."

Phyre thought about it. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

He chuckled. "Seriously? I met you, my imprint, last night, while you were naked and under another man. Part of me was seriously turned on at the sight, but the other part of me was fucking pissed that another man was there. Hell, you reeked of him. It drove my wolf nuts."

"Jealous much?" She scoffed.

"Yes!" He growled.

Leah sighed. "Do we need to be here for this part?" She asked Paul.

"I'm not leaving them alone together." Paul stated and kept his eyes on Embry.

"Right. Well, Phyre. Sorry again for whatever. But, I can't stay and listen to this." Then Leah left.

Paul rolled his eyes. "How about breakfast?"

* * *

Embry and Phyre continued to test each other out as they ran back toward Paul's house and waited for breakfast. Phyre had offered to cook, but Paul wasn't ready to trust her not to phase. So, no handling of anything that costs money to replace.

"Honestly Embry. I just don't know yet." Phyre stated.

His shoulders slumped as they ate breakfast. Her wolf wanted her to race to fix the mistake of causing him any disappointment, but she held firm.

"Embry, I'm not saying no. I am saying that I don't know." She took another bite of bacon. "This whole imprint thing sounds like marriage. And, I just met you yesterday. While I am going through a shit ton of stuff. I just don't know how to process it all, let alone make the right decision now."

Paul smiled at her encouragingly. "Asking for time is the best choice that you can make right now."

"I know. I know." Embry said calmly. "It is the right choice. But, I can't pretend to be happy about it because my wolf is wound up. However me, as a man, I do understand and I won't push you. In fact, I have some things that I need to figure out as well. But, I do want to be here for you. Help you in any way that I can."

"Thank you." Phyre smiled. Her wolf was clawing at her to climb back into his lap and stay there. "What things do you need to figure out?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about what to say. "Well, I don't know. Things like how my only car is a gorgeous 69' Shelby Cobra, that looks like shit because someone left her to rot. So, I have been fixing her up slowly. No running car yet. Hmmm. The fact that I am 21 and you are still 17 and need to go to finish high school. Ohh, and then there is the super creepy part of us possibly being related..."

"What?" Phyre shouted. "What is it with you Quileute people? Way too much incest!"

Paul groaned. "You are Quileute dumbass. And, as far as I know, we have never had an issue with this kind of shit, until I met you. But, I doubt that the ancestors paired you both up as imprints on each other if you were related."

"Then explain it." Phyre stared at Embry with her brows furrowed together.

Embry rolled his eyes up as if he was begging God to help him. "I don't know who my father was. Mom is from the Makah tribe and moved to La Push when she was pregnant with me. She never said who my father was. It was assumed that he was Makah and she moved to leave his ass. But, the wolves come from only three bloodlines. The Uleys, the Blacks, and the Atearas. So, when I phased, it kind of narrowed down the possibilities. There was a lot of drama and shit about it in the pack at first because all of the possible male members of those families from the generation that could have been my father, they were all married when I was born. Except for Thomas Uley, but he was still in the Merchant Marines at the time. So, he was overseas, not even a chance at being my father. He came back a year after I was born. But, that still leaves Sam's dad, Joshua as a possibility. In fact, most people assume it was him. He wasn't a whole lot better than Thomas on personality. Everyone could believe he cheated on his wife. The other two, Quil's dad and Billy Black both seemed to love their wives too much to do that."

"I think I am gonna be sick." Phyre groaned.

"Tell me about it." Embry muttered.

After several awkward minutes. "So, the Sheriff?"

"My step-dad. Mom married him when I was three." Embry answered.

Paul sat back down with more bacon and eggs. "I will repeat. I seriously doubt that the ancestors paired you two together if you were both Uley's. So, don't stress it yet. We need to focus on staying calm and getting Phyre into real clothing for a few hours. As much as the sheets work better than clothes for the new wolf thing, I don't think this social worker that the Sheriff called is going to be thrilled with it."

Phyre groaned. "Why do they have to come here? Can't I just talk to them over the phone?"

"Nope." Paul answered. "If I could postpone it, I would. At least until you are more stable with your emotions. But, the law is the law. Technically, the state can't make any decisions on reservation land with reservation families. The Tribe takes jurisdiction and has its own social workers that work through both systems. However, with the events that happened the night you left, I am sure there are a lot of questions. It would go a long way to getting the state out of your life if we just open it all up for them to check off their boxes and see that you are alright. They have to check out the house, talk to me, talk to you, make sure everything is kosher before they sign off. And, this really is the best option for you right now."

"How do you know all of this?" She asked.

Paul tilted his head. "My wife had a daughter that she put up for adoption when she was 17. I helped her talk to the Tribal Council and one of the tribes social workers about her options and legal needs in the early stages. It is just gonna be bureaucracy, then they will be gone. Maybe check in once a month after that."

"I don't trust them." She snarled.

Paul leaned back and looked at her sternly. "Phyre, I know you don't. I saw your memories of the times you called the police and Social Services yourself, to protect your brother. I am sorry that they didn't take the reports seriously enough to help before he gave up. But, fighting this would only make things harder. The more we cooperate now, the faster the person leaves and the less they interfere in the long run. Plus, the elders and some of the pack will be here to make sure they don't delve too far into wolf business. Okay?"

She nodded reluctantly.

"Good. Now, go on up and get a shower. I will find you some more clothes. The pack should be here in an hour. Social Services will be here around 2:00." He kissed her forehead.

Phyre's eyes slid into a wicked gleam. "Embry, you want to help me with that shower?"

Paul jumped. "Fucking hell no. Em, don't you even think about it." Embry whimpered. "What happened to going slow?"

Phyre rolled her eyes. "Just ruffling your fur Paul. I was not seriously going to let him go with me. I am not really a slut. Last night was a fluke thing."

Embry growled. Though, Phyre was not sure if it was for her teasing him with the shower, calling herself a slut, or for the reminder of her nearly having sex with another man. Probably all of the above.

"Seriously you two. I am a virgin still. The most I had done before last night was make out with a guy once. He was all octopus arms and grabby and slobbery. It was very uncomfortable and I didn't like it. That is the total of my experience before last night. I just kind of lost myself in the emotions and need to feel like someone wanted me." Her voice got quieter as she she talked. Barely a whisper by the time she finished her thought.

Embry wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "You are wanted. We are nothing like your father. I want you in my life. Not just here in La Push, but with me. I know Paul wants you here too. It will take time to get to know everyone, but we are a family. They will want you to stay as well."

"But, is it all of that just because of some magical imprint thing? You don't know me. You could hate me once you get to know me. Do you just want your imprint and it wouldn't matter who the person was. All of those questions make it just feel wrong."

There was a pain that flashed across Embry's face. "It's not really like that. It's not that we are blinded by the magic of it." Embry shook his head and looked at Paul for help.

Paul sat down across from the two. "Phyre, it took a long time for my wife and I to have a romantic relationship. We started out as friends. Very close friends who loved each other as friends. I was protective of her, but that was all there was to it. Then, she had to leave for several years. I turned wolf during that time and instinctively knew she was my imprint I guess. I was agitated and pissy all the time because she had disappeared. Then, when she came back, we reconnected as friends and things grew from there. Naturally. During that time, I had a lot of time to think about imprinting and what it means."

He smiled as she watched him talk. "I don't think that the imprint forces us to be with someone we would not want otherwise. I think that it clears the way to the person that you are truly matched with. It removes the question of who and lets you focus on finding your peace with them."

"But, I saw what happened with Sam and Leah."

"Yes, and whether they want to admit it or not, Sam is happier with Emily than he was with Leah. He hates himself for hurting her. And, in a way, he still loves her. But, he was not really himself when he was with her. With Emily, he is. And he is loved for being himself. Without the imprint bond, he never would have known that kind of acceptance."

Phyre stretched her arms to wrap around his neck and climbed back into his lap for a few minutes as she regained some control over her emotions. Was that an imprint thing? Being able to calm her just by holding her? Could Paul be right about it all? Was she even ready to think about that kind of commitment and relationship with anyone? She knew that physically, Embry soothed her. It hurt her to not be close to him. And, he was fucking hot as hell. So, there was an attraction. But, could it really build to love?

"I should go get that shower now." Phyre left the two men to finish their late breakfast.


	6. Chapter 6

A few hours later, Paul had asked Embry to stay and got him a shirt to wear while company was over. It had only taken a few moments of Embry trying to leave before Phyre phased into wolf again. So, as long as Embry could help her stay calm enough not to turn wolf in front of the social worker, he was staying. Though Paul felt the need to remind them that there was no PDA allowed in front of the guests.

The pack had started to arrive first and set up in the backyard to generally be available and show community support.

Phyre appreciated a chance to finally meet Brady and Collin. It had been hard for her to get used to random voices in her head. Putting real faces to the voices and names helped a lot. She also found out that they were seniors at the school there on the reservation. So, once things were settled and Paul was able to get Phyre transferred, she would see them there. They quickly became friends and asked her to sit with them at lunch. It was nice to have something to look forward to. Even Embry seemed to relax at that, joking that they had better keep the other boys away from her.

Seth and Leah arrived. It was awkward, but Phyre made her apologies. Seth grinned and told her that it was the best mistake of his life. She had wanted to hug the guy for his ability to not make her feel so bad for everything. But, Embry and Paul both growled when she got closer to him. Seth rolled his eyes and said that he was flattered that they even saw him as a threat at that point. Leah smacked him upside the head for the comment. Phyre did get to hug Leah though.

Others arrived in quick succession. Quil, Jared with his wife, Jake with his girlfriend...

Then, Sam arrived with his wife Emily. Emily quickly swept Phyre up into a tight hug and welcomed her to the family. Then, she quickly stepped away to leave Sam to eat some humble pie.

"Phyre." He took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear, I didn't. I was just in shock. I am sorry."

She didn't know how to react. Instinctively, she knew he was her alpha. Her wolf was submissive to him. But, the pain was still there. The hurt at watching him turn away. Then, later, he still had not talked to her. Hell, that apology was the first time he had spoken to her. She had been wolf for over 12 hours and it was the first time her alpha spoke to her. Her emotions started to run ragged again, and Embry was there. His warm arms wrapped around her and he growled at Sam.

Sam straightened at Embry's response.

"Sam." Paul called over cautiously. "There a problem?"

Sam raised a brow at Phyre and Embry. "I don't know. Is there?"

Embry's eyes narrowed. "Now you want to play alpha." He scoffed. "Where was that alpha when she first phased? Or last night in the garage when I calmed her yet you didn't talk to her at all? You didn't just turn your back on her during a conversation Sam. You haven't accepted her as pack yet!"

Phyre's wolf howled in pain at the words. He was right. Individuals had accepted her, but her own alpha had not. She did not belong yet. And, she knew that forcing it publicly would not change his heart. She tried to pull away, but Embry would not let her. She wanted to run, to hide from the eyes all watching.

Sam spoke through gritted teeth. "Phyre, why don't we talk alone. In the woods." Yet,when Embry started to protest, Sam continued. "Embry, she is not just an imprint. She is a wolf. This is between me and her, without you right now."

She cautiously followed Sam further away from the collection of wolves and their imprints.

Once they were out a ways, Sam stopped. "Take off your clothes and phase." He ordered.

Phyre looked back toward the house, very nervous without Paul or Embry there.

However, Sam held no patience. "I will order you to phase if you don't. Your wolf will have no choice but to comply. But, I am giving you a chance to save the clothing to put back on later."

"Aren't you gonna turn around?" She said meekly. Her emotions starting to fly away from her limited control.

"No. I am going to make sure you comply."

Phyre didn't know what else to do. Her wolf wanted to follow orders. But, he sounded like her father. She didn't want to be alone with the man at all.

"Now."

Her wolf took over and she quickly pulled off the cotton dress and shifted into her wolf form. Sam followed after he dropped his pants and shirt to the ground. He was a massively large, pure, black wolf.

"There, now we can talk more privately." Sam said calmly.

Phyre just watched him nervously.

Sam took a deep breath. "Run with me." He turned and took off at a moderate pace. Phyre hesitated. However, ultimately she followed just before she would have lost sight of him.

"How are you holding up?" He asked.

"I don't know yet." She answered honestly.

Sam stopped and turned to face her. Phyre's anxiety increased quickly. Sam closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Phyre. I know what Embry said hurt. But, I am not the one delaying your acceptance into the pack. You are."

She tilted her head at him. "How?"

"I screwed up. I know that. And, I know about your father. He was an asshole, just like his brother. But, in wolf nature, there is a hierarchy. It is not just me that has to claim you, but you must submit to me. You must trust me and follow orders. There cannot be a weak link in the chain of command. Without your submission, I can't claim you. For now, as you are new, you still join into the pack mind and relationships. But, you must choose. If you submit, I can claim you. If you don't, you will loose the connections."

Phyre wanted to cry again. "Why? Why does everything have to change all at one time?"

Sam shook his head. "I know it is not fair. You are the only one in the pack that did not grow up on the rez. The others naturally submitted up front. And, I felt it in you when you walked up. You were ready to when you first approached me. But, I screwed up. That was my mistake. But, it opened wounds that I can't heal and your heart is connecting me to those. So, now it won't let you submit quietly. I created that tear, but only you can put it back together enough to make this choice."

"But, what does it all mean? My submission."

"I am not Thomas." Sam stared her down. "I am not going to make you cook or clean. Though, I am sure Anna would appreciate the help around the house since you will be living there. That is just polite responsibility. But, that is not my role as alpha. My role is to command a fighting unit. To set patrols, to mediate or eliminate conflicts, to lead a hunt for our enemies. We have to trust one another with our lives. Know that we will fight together not against one another. And, not waste precious time questioning orders when given."

"You wouldn't even talk to me in the garage." She accused.

Sam tilted his head. "Because you had Embry. You wouldn't have listened to me or forgiven me while everything was so new and raw. And, Embry would not have been willing to let you go to make your own decision at that time."

"So, what, I am supposed to become some mindless soldier. Nothing more?"

He scoffed. "Have you see the pack and everything that has happened since you phased? They are hardly mindless. And, they do stand up to me when they feel what I did was wrong. But, I also trust them to go left when I need them to go left to catch a fucking leech in the trees. We are a family. A real family. Not by blood per say. But, by bond. We fight, we argue, but we eventually forgive, and always fight to the death to protect each other and our people."

Family. She had never had a family that was like that. Well, her brother, Jax. But, no more than one person. Would they really accept her like that?

"Yes." Phyre had forgotten the fucking pack mind thing again. Oops. Sam shook his head.

"Phyre, you have to decide."

"How?"

Sam stood tall. His tail high. His ears perked up. He bared his teeth. "Let go of your pain and fears long enough to give in to your wolf. Let instinct guide you." Phyre felt the intimidation, the pressure.

Then, when Sam snarled and snapped, she found herself on the ground, rolled over to her side. Exposing her vulnerable belly to his possible attack. He stood there for a few minutes, letting the her wolf accept it's place. Once his role as alpha was established, he turned and walked back toward Paul's house. Phyre was quick to follow.

As they quickly re-dressed in the trees, Sam lifted Phyre's chin. "I really am happy you came to La Push. You are family. In more ways than one. Please don't let my mistake keep you from opening up to me. I am here for you kid." He gave her a tight hug and led her back to the comfort of her imprint and brother.

* * *

Phyre was nervous as she waited. What if they tried to take her way? What if she lost control and phased? What if... Her thoughts were cut off with the knock at the door.

"Sheriff Call." Paul greeted.

"Paul. This is Ms. Pullman. She is with the Tribes office for Human Services. Here to meet Phyre." Sheriff Call introduced.

Paul extended a hand. "Nice to see you again Ms. Pullman. Come on in. Phyre is in the living room with Embry and the elders." The elders had arrived shortly before Social Services had.

The Sheriff rolled his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Ms. Pullman asked.

"No ma'am." The Sheriff answered. "Embry is my son remember. Finding out he is here just explains why his mother was calling me this morning."

Embry scoffed from the kitchen where he started to take out stuff to make everyone sandwiches. "I had patrol with the neighborhood watch this morning. Came to Paul's to get food." He said with a wide grin as he grabbed another slice of bacon. "Now everyone is here. I am just that popular."

Phyre smirked at Embry's cheekiness toward his step-father. She got the impression that the Sheriff still didn't approve of her and Embry together. But, he did not bring that up in front of Ms. Pullman.

"Ms. Pullman, I am sure you already know Billy Black, Sue Clearwater, and Quil Ateara. They, came to show support through this. Also, the neighborhood watch group is out back." Paul introduced.

"Thank you all for agreeing to let me come here. As you all know, the state has no official authority to conduct home studies without the Tribe taking jurisdiction and that cannot happen until Monday at the earliest since it is a court matter."

They all shook hands and nodded cooperation. Billy spoke up. "I think we can all agree that the Tribe _ **will**_ request jurisdiction. We have four of the six Council members here and I already talked to the other two."

Paul then closed it up for everyone. "Look. I realize that Phyre left Spokane under abrupt and questionable circumstances. And, it is your job to make sure that she is okay and taken care of. So, as long as you understand that I am doing this voluntarily, I want to help put the states mind at ease so we can move matters along and this can all be put behind us."

"Thank you Mr. Lahote." Ms. Pullman sat down in a chair that was offered to her. "Hi Phyrianna. Why don't you call me Grace?"

Phyre rolled her eyes. Paul squeezed her shoulder carefully. She wasn't alone. "Fine."

"How about we just start with you telling me what happened the night you disappeared?" Ms. Pullman prompted. Phyre really didn't want to talk about it all. It was hard enough to face the memories, but to put it all into words... She took a long slow breath and let it out. She started with describing how she had been sick with the flu. Obviously, she was not going to say it was a transition to becoming a wolf. But, before long, she had explained how she made her way to La Push and why. Sheriff Call appeared to relax when she had said that she had never stolen anything before, she just couldn't find any money in the house before she left. She had just wanted to find her mother.

Embry had made sandwiches for everyone and then sat down next to Phyre as Paul continued to caress her shoulder supportively. Sue Clearwater sat on the other side from Embry, she held Phyre's hand as she talked.

"And, have you seen a doctor for your flu?" Ms. Pullman asked. Sue answered about her visit to the clinic the day before. She said that once Phyre got a solid meal, sleep, some antibiotics and Tylenol; her health improved quickly, though she still ran a bit of a fever. It should all clear up in a couple of days.

Ms. Pullman smiled. "It looks like you found a brother instead of your mother. How do you feel about that Phyre?"

Phyre looked up at Paul who still stood behind her and smiled. "It is weird. But, I think that I kind of like it. Paul has welcomed me into his home and family. So, has my cousin Sam."

"What about you Paul? Are you prepared to take on a teenage girl in your home? As I recall, Anna gave a child up for adoption."

Paul smiled. "Circumstances were very different before, I am sure you remember the details of her case well enough to understand. For this, now, here... for family, I would do just about anything. And, yes, my wife and I are prepared. I own the house out right. We have a spare bedroom that Phyre can set up as her own. Anna and I have stable jobs to be able to provide financial support. We have medical care at the clinic. On Monday, I can call her old school and get paperwork started for her to transfer to the school here on the rez. And, since you are Quileute, you know that we have an extensive community of friends and family that can help with anything else needed. I am a part of the neighborhood watch group. Phyre's cousin, Sam, runs it. They are all in the back yard goofing off and setting up for a barbecue tonight to welcome Phyre."

Ms. Pullman grimaced slightly at the mention of the neighborhood watch. Most of the reservation did not have a good opinion of the group because they did not understand it. But, since the Council members were there, they obviously supported Phyre staying with her family. The woman paused and tilted her head as if she was shifting gears mentally. "I know this is a difficult subject, but I must ask. What about mental health services? Phyrianna has been through a lot. I would strongly recommend counseling."

Phyre scoffed.

Paul chuckled at her reaction. "Don't worry Ms. Pullman. Our mother had type of man. Phyre and I may have had different fathers, but they were very similar in parenting styles. We have similar difficulties with anger and such because of it. I understand her." Mr. Pullman started to speak about how it was not what she meant, but Paul lifted a hand to stop her and let him continue. "Listen. What I am saying is that I already attend semi-weekly counseling sessions over the phone with a therapist out of Seattle. She is also my wife's therapist. It took a while to convince me, but I can see some benefit in the process. Dr. Brighton is very comfortable to talk to and very experienced at digging into trauma in a way that helps rather than causes more problems. I understand that Phyre would benefit from having sessions as well. And, in addition to the counseling, Anna drives to Port Angeles once a week to join in Karate and Kickboxing sessions. We have even converted the garage into a personal gym to hit the bags in between Saturday classes. It helps to get the anxiety out, helps to bring focus, and gives my wife confidence in being able to defend herself. I already talked to Phyre about giving it all a try."

Ms. Pullman smiled. "Well, it looks like you are rather prepared. But, where is your wife? It is Saturday, is she in Port Angeles?"

"No. She went to Redmond for the weekend to visit family friends. Phyre was an unexpected surprise." Though Paul tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

Embry reached into his pocket to pretend to check his phone. "Well, looks like the Mrs. is coming home early." He held his phone up as if he was showing Paul a text. Phyre listened. Paul's house was right off of the main road through the rez, so cars and trucks were always driving by. She could not tell just what sparked their reaction, but she trusted them to be right. Though, the smoothness of Embry's acting was quite remarkable. It took all of Phyre's focus to not grin with pride at the man next to her. Ugh! She barely knew him, she reminded herself. How could she have pride in a man she barely knew?

Paul grinned. He opened the door just as a small red Subaru pulled in front of the house and parked. His muscles visibly relaxed as he saw his wife. Phyre had not seen him that relaxed yet. Maybe Anna did have a huge impact on his moods. He ran down to sweep Anna into his arms for a deep and passionate kiss. As the others gathered around the porch and the door. Phyre was kind of nervous about meeting Anna.

He lowered his head to speak in the woman's ear. "I thought I asked you to stay a few extra days to give Phyre a chance to get control?"

Anna whispered back, the conversation too low and far away for the humans to hear, but Phyre could hear it all just fine. "I know that me being away makes you anxious and angry. That girl doesn't need that. You don't need that. So, I will stay at my uncles for a few days. Here, on the rez. Where you can find me and make sure Rory and I are safe. And, relax. But, next time, you must go with me, the kids really miss you."

He growled playfully. "I don't deserve you."

She scrunched her nose. "We'll agree to disagree. But, I think I'll keep you anyway." She kissed him again and turned to get their daughter out of the car. The baby was sound asleep.

"I will get your stuff in a little bit. Why don't you put Rory down in her crib before I introduce you to Phyre and Ms. Pullman."

Paul asked Ms. Pullman to just follow them upstairs while they put the baby to bed so that she could look over the house and see the spare room for Phyre. Then, he gave proper introductions on the way down and led the woman out the back to the garage to see the gym and meet some of the other members of the extended family.

"Well, I have to say that I am quite impressed that Phyre found her way to such an appropriate environment to meet her needs." Ms. Pullman stated as they re-entered the house. "As long as the Tribe takes jurisdiction over Phyre's case, I will probably take over the case from Spokane. I will check on you once in a while. Just to see if there is anything else that we can do to help. But, it looks like you have everything under control. I will let you know that we do have to search for Phyre's mother and give her a chance to come forward to be a parent. Because of the time needed to do that, it is unlikely that we will be able to move toward you having legal guardianship Mr. Lahote, Phyre will turn 18 before that process would be completed. So, most likely, the state will maintain legal custody while she remains living with you. It will add a few complications, but I will help you through that process."

Ms. Pullman stopped in front of Phyre. "Sweetheart, I really do hope that you take advantage of the support you are being offered. I know that you have gone through a lot and I won't pretend to know how that feels. But, you have a fresh start and a chance to heal, with family. Good luck to you." Then she left.

Once the door was closed, Phyre dropped back into the sofa. "If only I could have reached her all those times that I called Social Services and the Police."

Sheriff Call stiffened. "You called Social Services and the police?"

She rolled her head and glared at him. "Yeah. Fat lot of good that did. My brother was 15 and being bullied at school, beaten at home, and my father was always drunk. So, I tried to do what I could to protect him. Yet, no one ever came. Apparently no one cares when the gay native boy is abused. Only the rich little white girls. Hell, I had one officer call instead of show up. And, they told me that me being a straight A student who never missed school was indication that my home was just fine. Yeah, cuz my dad had anything to do with that. I got us up for school. I did the grocery shopping on food stamps. I did the cooking and the cleaning. I studied hard and tutored my brother. My dad just drank away his disability check, passed out and took out his insecurities on us when he was awake." Phyre had started to shake in the emotions before Embry pulled her close to him and ran soothing circles with his hands over her back.

The Sheriff looked at her intently. Whatever, she didn't care if he liked her. She was done trying to ask police for help.

Sue Clearwater placed a hand on hers. "I am sure you did everything you could. I am very sorry the system didn't work to protect him."


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days were a blur. Sam and Paul forced Embry to stay away from Phyre so that she could learn to control her wolf nature without him. As much as he soothed her, she really did need to learn control. Just the idea of him leaving her side sent her into fur and paws. She hated that he was not there. But, he could not be with her every second of every day. She needed to learn.

Though, once he was gone, it did give her more time to think about how she really felt about the whole imprint thing. Not that she would admit that to anyone. It was just so strange to Phyre that she could feel so completely comfortable with Embry, that he could calm her in extreme ways just by being close to her, yet, she didn't know him. She knew practically nothing about the man. And, that just messed with her head.

By the third night, there was a lot of discussion happening around the pack when Phyre phased again. She had successfully managed to stay human for several hours before any mistakes.

"Hello again." She grumbled.

"Hey Phyre." Several people responded across the pack mind.

"What triggered you this time?" Sam chuckled.

Phyre rolled her eyes. "Embry was sweet and picked up a bunch of school supplies for me, for when I start in a couple of days."

"And you turned wolf because Embry was sweet?" Quil asked.

Phyre growled. "No. Because Sam won't let me even talk to him on the phone or let him turn wolf now so we could talk here. I miss him. Why do I miss him so much?" Okay, it wasn't just about the supplies. It was that Phyre found that he had written notes into the margins of her notebooks and hidden cards in some of the books and pockets of her backpack. Lots of 'I miss you' and 'I can't wait until you are back with me' or 'Keep up the good work' type of stuff. How could a girl not get all mushy and miss him for that?

"Who knew Embry could be romantic?" Seth teased. She growled in defense of her imprint.

"That is the pull of the imprint. You know that." Sam said calmly.

"Well, that's just stupid." Everyone seemed to just accept it at face value. There was no real question or fight about it all. And, Phyre still had so many questions. She had been controlled for so long, she didn't want to be controlled by some magical matchmaker scheme. She didn't want him to do those things just because his wolf told him to. Phyre wanted Embry to like her for her. But, since they couldn't spend time together, he didn't know anything about her. Grrr.

"Phyre, calm down. You will get control over the wolf soon enough. You are already doing better." Sam encouraged.

"Everyone else had control by now." She pouted.

Sam sighed. "That is because no one else had to deal with the stages of grief at, let alone the emotions of being imprinted at the same time. Both of those have added to your anger and instability. The funeral is tomorrow, so no one expects you to have control while you still face that hurdle. But, take as much time as you need."

"Fine. So, what was everyone talking about when I came in?"

Dead silence.

Phyre growled.

Quil's thoughts started to wander and Sam told him to stop. Seth remained dead quiet.

"Oh for heaven's sake. I hear and see you boys think about sex all the time. Get over it." She really was used to it. She heard that boys think about sex a lot, but damn, having access to their heads like that... whole new understanding.

"Well..." Quil started.

Sam growled. "It is not for you to tell her."

"And you won't let Embry near her right now to tell her himself. We can't keep this quiet for long." Quil argued.

The alpha relented.

Phyre could sense Quil brighten up. "Embry had a good long talk with his mom about who his father was. His mom never wanted to drag down anyone's reputation, so she had always refused to say. But, with you being his imprint and vice versa, he was able to finally get an answer."

"And..." Phyre prompted.

Quil brightened more. "I have a brother! That totally works since Em and Jake are my best friends." She let go of the breath that she had been holding. Embry was not a Uley. Thank you ancestors for not making things more awkward!

"We have agreed to keep the information secret, just pack will know. Tiffany is a sweet woman who said that it was a mistake. Quil's dad was drunk and kept calling her by his wife's name. She was too drunk to really notice until after the fact. And, she was not even sure he remembered doing it. But, since Quil's parents died in a car crash years ago, they are not here to defend their honor. We will do what we can to uphold their wishes." Sam stated. There was a pause. "Speaking of family secrets. Perhaps we should talk about what information you share with people around school and La Push, Phyre."

"I had already thought of that." She answered. "I don't want to hide that I am Paul's sister. And, since my mother's maiden name was Uley, it makes more sense to not say who my father was. Stay Deborah Uley's daughter, born under my mother's maiden name. Still Paul's sister. Still your cousin."

"That sounds perfect." Sam agreed.

* * *

"Alright class, we have a new student. Miss Phyrianna Uley."

"Phyre, please."

"Alright, Phyre. Can you please take a seat in the back next to Brady?" Ms. Smith directed.

Thank God, there was a familiar face her first day of school. Both, Collin and Brady were in her class.

Phyre sat down and leaned over to give Brady a quick hug. "I am so happy to see you two here." Collin grinned from the other side of Brady.

"One or the other of us will be in all of your classes, both for three of them." Brady whispered. "Paul thought it would help you settle, and we can get you out if you start to blow."

She was irritated that everyone treated her like a fragile vase. But, regardless of the reasons, she was still happy to see the boys.

By the fourth class, she chuckled as she was directed to once again sit near her one of pack mates. "Was the seating arrangement planned by Paul as well?"

Collin grinned. "Na, we are just too tall to sit in front of anyone else. Always in the back. Just happens to be where any empty seats are too."

Phyre shook her head as she opened her notebook to take notes. She smiled as she found another note written across the top. 'I miss you beautiful.' Collin looked over and chuckled as he muttered something about Embry being whipped. Phyre quickly elbowed him and blushed.

A girl one row up and one seat over, looked back. "Are you two dating?"

Collin's eyes went wide as fear crept in. If Embry heard that, Collin would be toast. Phyre started cracking up. The teacher glared at them for the disruption. Once they were able to regain composure and the teacher turned again, Phyre leaned over to whisper back to the girl. "No. I already have a boyfriend. Not at the school though." She left it there. No need in stirring up too much drama her first day.

"Claimed already." Collin chuckled. Phyre rolled her eyes.

She did her best to pay attention in class, but her thoughts kept wandering back to Embry. His bright, glowing eyes. That luscious creamy mocha skin. The soft shaggy black hair. His rippling muscles. The tender way he held her close and soothed her emotions. Those lips that just begged her to kiss and give permission to explore her skin...

Her thoughts were interrupted as the girl who had asked her if she and Collin were dating, giggled at Collin. Was Phyre in the middle of a flirt situation? Damn, it just made her miss Embry more.

* * *

"What was that?" She asked Collin as they left the class to head to lunch.

He looked confused. "What?"

"The flirting?"

"Oh!" He grinned. "Yeah, the girls love the pack look. All the muscles and the bad boy image."

Phyre arched a brow. "Bad boy image?"

"Yeah, you know. Half the tribe thinks we are all on steroids and have some gang or cult thing going on." Okay, she could see that. Especially with all of the secrecy over the wolf part. "And, of course the frivolous dating."

The what? "Frivolous dating? Don't you take women seriously?"

He shook his head. "It's not like that. Well, maybe a little like that. It's just, we know how much it hurt Leah and Emily and Sam when... well, Sam and Leah had been together for a long time. But, then he imprinted on Emily. They tried to fight the imprint bond, but eventually they gave in. Leah was really hurt to loose her man to her own cousin. It has made us all nervous about having real relationships. We don't want to repeat that history. So, best to be up front that anyone who wants to date us is not going to keep us. No ties. No hidden agendas. Hook ups and nothing more." Collin shrugged.

"All of you do this?" Phyre stopped in the hall.

"Everyone who doesn't have an imprint." He answered before he realized what he walked into. Collin froze and looked back at Phyre. His eyes were wide as she was shaking in anger. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom and closed the door. "Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't think. I thought you knew. I mean, he is 21. But, now he has you. It is different. He's different now." Collin rambled as he fumbled for his cell phone and called Embry.

"Is everything alright?" Embry's voice sounded panicked.

Collin put the phone on speaker. "Talk to her man before she phases in the Chemistry Lab."

"Phyre? Honey? What's wrong?" Embry asked quickly. Hearing his voice did calm her from the edge of phasing, but her anger still pushed. Her wolf was howling in jealousy. It wanted to shred every woman he touched and bury them in the woods. _Mine!_

She growled. "How many?"

"How many what?" He was honestly confused.

Collin was ready to fall apart. "Fuck man, I'm sorry. Some girl was flirting with me. Then came all the questions about the pack and dating. I didn't think. But, you gotta calm her down."

Phyre heard Embry let out a string of curses and then let out a long breath. "Phyre. Everything was before you. I swear. Now it is you and only you. Even if we are not having sex. I will wait. I can't even think about anyone else."

"How many?" She repeated. Her voice was controlled. Too controlled.

Embry whimpered. "I don't really know. It's not like I was keeping a record."

"How many times am I going to be somewhere with you and have some ex-fling try to stir up drama? How am I supposed to believe that you actually want me, not the wolf imprint thing, but me when I am just another girl in a long line of them?"

"Phyre, you are not just another girl. I swear it. I can't prove that to you over the phone. I can't even prove that to you today. It will take time. Getting to know each other. Building trust in each other. Please. Calm down. Sam said that if you could make it through the school day, I could pick you up and we could have the rest of the day to spend time getting to know one another."

"And, you want to do that? The guy that has been with too many women to count, no strings attached, wants to spend all day with me?"

"Yes!"

"Why? And, don't just say because of the fucking imprint." She was slightly shaking once again.

Embry's voice was calm and soothing. "Because you are passionate. You are loyal and protective to those you love. You have an amazing heart. I might not know much about you, but I am positive of those things. I saw them in your memories, in how you loved your brother. How you fought to make your lives better. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, inside and out. And, I want to get to know you more. I want to be able to make you laugh and smile, to protect you from any more pain. Just please, give me a chance."

The more he spoke, the calmer Phyre became. By the end, she was blushing.

"So, what did you have in mind for the day?" She tried to hide her change in mood. Not that she was very successful at it with Collin in front of her, grinning like a fool.

"A date." Embry replied.

Phyre's cheeks darkened. "When?"

Embry chuckled. "I was just going to pick you up from school."

"What?" She was stunned. "What about giving a girl a chance to get ready and shit?"

"You're already are beautiful. You don't need to add any primping and crap. I like the natural you."

Collin rolled his eyes and groaned. He was not thrilled at being in the middle of the love fest. "Great, it's settled. Call will be here after school. You keep a handle on your temper until then. Now give me my phone back so we can eat before lunch is over."

* * *

Collin and Phyre entered the cafeteria as nonchalantly as possible. Still, people stared. Phyre expected it. New girl with the big beefy guy that apparently got around.

They sat next to Brady at a quiet table in the back. Collin quickly filled him in on the reasons for the delay. Much to Brady's amusement.

"So, you are part of the La Push Gang?" A voice rang behind Phyre.

She turned to see the girl from the previous class. The one who had been flirting with Collin. Phyre grimaced. She could see all of the eyes on her. Waiting for her answer. Wanting to know all about her. So much for a drama free first day. "I don't know about any gang. But, if you mean the neighborhood watch that my cousin runs, then sure." Phyre turned back to her food.

"Sam's your cousin?"

"Well, my name is Phyrianna Uley. I thought that would be obvious."

The girl sat down next to Phyre. She was a persistent little bugger. The boys kept their mouths zipped tight.

"I am Karen Beckett. Nice to meet you." She extended a hand. Phyre eyed her askance for a moment, looked at the boys who were no help what so ever, and shrugged. Why not? So, she shook the girls hand.

"I didn't mean to be rude about being Sam's cousin. It's just, no one knew that his uncle had kids." Karen spoke.

Phyre fought hard to keep her emotions under control. She closed her eyes for a moment before she laid out the partial lie that she and Sam had discussed, with Paul's approval. "I am not Thomas's kid. My mother was Deborah Uley. Or, I guess, Deborah Lahote. Paul Lahote is my brother."

"Oh!" The high pitched squeak was getting on Phyre's nerves. But, better to admit to just being a bastard child from an extra marital affair than being the bastard child of an incestuous extra marital affair.

"Whatever. Mom had me and abandoned me. Name on the birth certificate was Uley. Now I am here and living with my brother. End of story." She pushed out through gritted teeth.

To her surprise, Karen placed a hand on Phyre's arm. "Well, I am glad you are getting to know your brother." Then she leaned over. "But, seriously girl. If you are not dating one of these two, who is your boyfriend? Cuz, how can you pass up the hunks in that gang?"

The boys finally lost it. Phyre's face turned red again.

"There is no hiding it Phyre. Embry is picking you up after school. In front of everyone!" Collin poked. Uggh! She wanted to hide.

"Embry Call! Your boyfriend is Embry Call!" Karen giggled. "Damn girl, you got game to snag that one into slowing down. And, he is 21! Shit, I'm jealous!"

Phyre dropped her head into her arms against the table. Despite the embarrassment and annoying persistence, she was kind of starting to like Karen. At least she didn't appear to be judgmental about anything yet. Well, not judgmental in a bad way at least. But, then her paranoia started to kick in. Had Karen been with Embry?

"Please tell me that you haven't dated Embry." Phyre blurted out. Somewhat more harshly than she had intended.

Karen giggled. "I wish. Don't rip my head off in jealousy here. But, seriously he is hot!"

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Collin pouted.

Karen smiled and winked at him. "No cutie. If you don't screw things up, you might be a lucky boy at the Halloween Party next weekend." That shut him up. Phyre couldn't believe how bold and blunt the girl was with Collin. She quickly looked around to see if others were still watching. But, by then, the general attention of the other students moved on. Away from Phyre.

"And, you are okay with that? With Collin?" Phyre asked.

"What's wrong with me?" Collin grumbled. Brady elbowed him to shut up.

Karen's eyes darkened a little, but she smiled through. However, her voice had dropped to little more than a whisper. "Let's just say, that I have my reasons. Doesn't hurt that he is fucking hot as hell to boot." Something about the pain in Karen's eyes pulled at Phyre. So, grabbed Karen's hand and dragged her out of the cafeteria and into the girls restroom.

"Explain." Phyre pushed.

Karen just looked at her.

"What reasons for publicly stating that you were going to sleep with Collin, knowing that it was a one time thing? I know this is a different school than the one I was in, but seriously, it can't be that different where everyone sleeps around casually with no reputation issues or something." Phyre searched for answers. There was something in the way that Karen looked that reminded Phyre of her brother. Come to think of it, Karen had spent all of her time talking to Phyre and the boys. No one else. The way she was so persistent to talk to Phyre. Did she not have other friends? Karen was cute, friendly, nothing that visibly stood out as a common trigger for bullies and shit.

Karen still watched her. Indecision written all over her face.

"Fine. Explain where your friends are?"

Karen flinched.

"What is going on? You came to me, trying to start a friendship it looks like. So explain it to me."

The girls lip trembled slightly. "It is just stupid."

"Try me." Phyre shot off.

"I, I- I was going to Forks High. And, I was dating this boy, Eli for the last year. Things were going good. Until a few weeks ago. I was stupid and in love. He pressured me into having sex. God, it was awful. I mean, every teen movie bad sex scene rolled into one. He was, was..." She shivered. Phyre could relate to crappy first time. She hadn't had sex, but making out with Jason Cruz was horrid enough. "Anyway, the next day, he had told everyone that I was too fat, that he couldn't even get hard. All of my so called friends were dating his friends. So, they wouldn't stand up for me. I was horrified. I transferred here last week. I know who people are because I live here, but I am kind of new to the school like you."

Phyre wanted to fly into a rage. To go to Forks High School and kill that Eli boy. But, more than that, she wanted to protect Karen from more pain. Phyre pulled her into a hug as the girl broke down into tears.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push myself on to you. I just saw that Collin and Brady had taken to you so quickly, that it gave me the courage to try to get to know you all." Karen said wiping her tears. "Then, when Collin flirted with me, it made me feel pretty again. I know I won't get a relationship. But, at least a night with a guy who would help me erase those horrible memories."

Phyre smiled. "I am glad you talked to us. As for the sex... maybe we could find a way to boost that self esteem in another way?"

Karen sighed. "But, he really is gorgeous. And, from what I hear, experienced enough to make it good. I want to know what good feels like."

"Alright, how about just table the option for now and try something else. We can always work our way back to that one if needed. I don't think Collin is going anywhere." Phyre teased. "Seriously, I am not judging your choices. Just imparting some lessons learned."

"Like you have anything to fret over. You are gorgeous and have all these hunky friends. And, and, you are dating Embry Call!" Karen exclaimed.

Phyre rolled her eyes. "Okay, horror story to share. I met Embry while getting hot and heavy with his friend Seth. I was in that moment of emotional need that you described. I needed to feel like someone wanted me. Then, Embry walked in. Embarrassing as fuck."

"You and Seth?" She squeaked. The look on her face said she was hurt by that.

Phyre grinned. "You have a thing for Seth?" Karen looked horrified. "Don't worry, there is nothing between Seth and I. I swear. I was actually trying to steal a car but didn't have any clothes on, he was in the shop, so I kissed him to try to hide my reason for being there. Then, my baggage kicked in. It was seriously a screwed up situation. Poor boy didn't know what hit him. But, then I met Embry. And, his dad, Sheriff Call walked in. While I was still naked. Triple fucking embarrassing."

Karen bust out laughing, but hugged Phyre tighter. That made Phyre smile. She actually made a friend! Not just pack. But, a human friend!


	8. Chapter 8

"Embry!" Phyre couldn't hold back her excitement when she saw him standing next to Quil's truck in the school parking lot. Karen, Collin and Brady laughed as she ran to jump straight into the man's arms.

Embry hugged her close, supporting her weight as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He nuzzled his face into her neck and purred as he inhaled her scent. Phyre was too busy doing the same thing to his neck to care if it was a strange scene. They had been apart for nearly five whole days.

"I take it you missed me?" Embry whispered.

"Mmmm." She nodded. Part of her still hated that he had such an affect on her. But, in that moment, she just wanted to be home. With him.

Karen sighed. "I still can't believe this. One by one, you boys go from every girls dream hook up to every girls dream commitment, practically over night."

Embry rubbed his nose against Phyre's. "Whose your new friend?" His lips were hovering so close to hers that she could feel his breath as he spoke.

"Karen." Phyre pulled back and climbed down off of Embry. "Karen, meet Embry. Embry, meet Karen."

Embry smirked. "Nice to meet you Karen. I am glad to see Phyre actually made friends."

Phyre scoffed. "What? You didn't think I could talk to people?"

"Oh, no. That was never the question. You can definitely talk. I just wondered if you could manage to talk to people nicely enough to make friends." He chuckled.

That did it. "Well, then, you can forget your plans for the day Bubba Gump. I don't go on dates with guys who don't think I can fucking be nice. In fact, maybe I will just call Seth for a ride home."

Brady and Collins laughter at the scene came to an abrupt stop at her threat. Even Karen stayed quiet. She remembered that story.

Embry looked furious. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He growled.

"Your the one who just insulted me." She crossed her arms. Her wolf was really pissed off at her for threat. She knew it would piss him off. Of all the people to suggest calling, it was the man that Embry caught her trying to have sex with. She immediately wanted to take it back. But, her anger would not let go. He didn't know her. He had only spent time with her during the worst break down of her life. And, he said he didn't think she could be nice or make friends?

Karen leaned over to Collin. "Is this normal?" Collin shrugged.

"You know what? Forget it. I can walk home just fine. I don't need a man." Phyre stormed off. The house was literally just down the street anyway.

Embry ran up behind her and pulled her to a stop as it started to rain. "What in the hell do you think you are doing?"

"I don't get you!" She shouted. "You tell me that I have an amazing heart and what a wonderful person I am and then a few hours later, you are shocked that I am nice enough to make a friend?"

Embry whimpered. "I didn't mean it like that. Shit!" He pulled her in for a hug. But, she remained tense and not refused to hug him back. "Phyre, I just meant that I was surprised that you remained in control of your wolf enough to relax your first full day in public. I know how much the wolf aggression scares people away. Damn. It wasn't anything about you, your heart, or your personality. I knew you would make friends eventually. You are too wonderful not to. I just thought the tension with the wolf would keep you more closed off from people to start with. That was how it was for all of us. It took weeks if not longer before we could talk to anyone other than a pack member without snapping their head off. Fuck, I couldn't even talk to Jake or Quil for weeks because of it all. Not until they phased too."

Phyre didn't know if she could trust that. She was hurt. But, then she thought back on it. And, she did isolate herself and was bitchy at first with Karen. It was Karen's persistence to not give up on herself that kept things moving until Phyre could open up. Fuck, Embry was right. The wolf did get in the way. It was a miracle that anyone talked to her at all that day. Even that fight was an instance of her emotions taking off on a runaway train. Too much to control.

"Please. I'm sorry that I screwed up." His breath ghosted over her temple. "And, the fact that you didn't even come close to phasing while you were that hurt and upset proved just how wrong I was. Please forgive me."

"That is because you were there. I want to be angry, but you always calm me enough to have control. I am sorry I got so upset. I thought..." She shook her head. "And, I never should have thrown Seth out there like that. It was really petty and stupid." She sniffed. She refused to cry again. She cried a lot during the days prior. She wanted to spend time with Embry and not have it be an emotional break down.

He dropped his head to nuzzle into her neck again. "Can we start this over?"

God, he felt so good against her neck. Without thinking, her arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer. Her hands slid over the soft cotton t-shirt he wore, gliding over every contour of the muscles hidden underneath.

Someone cleared a throat, bringing the moment to a crashing end. They turned to see Collin and Brady glaring at them.

"Karen was worried and made us come over to make sure you were okay." Brady said.

Embry smiled down at Phyre. "Give me your bag and go say goodbye to your friend." Phyre leaned up on her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss to his cheek before she complied. She giggled as she caught Embry rubbing his cheek affectionately, savoring the feel of her lips on his skin.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Phyre asked.

Embry sent her a very sexy lopsided grin. "You'll see."

"Embry, I don't even know if I am dressed right for this."

Phyre had to get new clothes before she started school. Not only did she leave most of her clothes in Spokane, but what she had brought with her either did not fit right anymore or ripped apart from her unexpected shifts to wolf. She had grown four inches during the change. She topped off at 5'9" and her figure had toned out from her more curvy past. Paul and Anna had money, but not tons of it. So, Phyre requested to go to the thrift shops. More clothes for less money. She wasn't so image conscious that she needed name brands or hot styles of the season. She could live comfortably with thrift store shopping. She had her whole life already. Besides, the whole wolf thing kind of shifted her views on styles. She wanted comfortable, stretchy, easy to take off and put on clothing. Plus, bras and underwear were questionable. Just added steps before shifting to wolf and more awkwardness if others walk up to the clothing left behind. So, she had found a whole collection of tennis dresses. Some sports store had donated a bunch of stuff. But, the dresses were perfect. Stretchy materials, built in sports bra, very flattering on her. Then, she paired them with jackets and sweaters to wear around school. Since wolves have a higher body temperature, she didn't really feel like she needed a coat most of the time, but walking around school without one would draw too much attention in October. And, she got several pairs of capris to wear under the dresses. If necessary, she could shred the capris and just peal off the dress. So, that is what she wore. a dark red and grey tennis dress over black capri pants, a black hoody, and red chucks. Not really the ideal date outfit.

Embry glance over at her. "You are beautiful. And, you are dressed just fine."

Before she knew it, Embry had parked and led her down to a small beach surrounded by ragged cliffs. He stepped in behind her as she looked at the area. His whole body pressed against the back of hers as he wrapped his arms around her. "What do you think?"

"This is beautiful." _Don't let go. Please don't let go._

He dropped his head to place gentle kisses along Phyre's neck. "You mentioned that you like swimming. The pack comes here to go cliff diving. The water is calm today, so I thought that I would introduce you to it."

"Hmmmm." She couldn't find her voice for a moment. His lips on her skin was absolute heaven. It sent shivers through her body. "But, it is October. The water is cold."

"And, we're wolves with higher body temperatures."

Phyre grinned. Cliff diving did sound like a lot of fun. And, he put effort into thinking of something that she would enjoy, not just cliche date stuff.

She leaned back further into him and realized that she could feel him. All of him. Boy was he hard. Oh wow, he was huge. And pressed against her backside. God did that turn her on. To feel his attraction to her flooded her body with heat. Her breasts tightened and her core pooled with lust. Phyre had never had such a physical reaction to any guy before she arrived in La Push. The moment with Seth was more about running away from her pain. With Embry, it was all raw lust.

Embry let out a low growl and rubbed himself on her before he quickly pulled back. "Damn, you are sexy as hell. And, I can smell your arousal. But, I had better put some space between us before I lose control and push things farther than they should go for a first date in a relationship that you want to take slow."

Phyre just stood there. Stunned by his sudden absence from her body. Her mind not able to catch up and refocus.

"Wait here, I will be right back with some stuff." Embry grumbled as he readjusted himself. Before long, he returned with a few blankets, towels, and a cooler.

She had enough time to regain her senses and smiled brightly as he laid out a blanket for them to sit on and opened the cooler to show that he brought drinks, fried chicken, sandwiches, two bowls of some kind of broccoli rice casserole. An odd combination, but it looked wonderful. She was so hungry.

"You did all of this for me?" She asked. She bit her lower lip as she looked it over. Her chocolate eyes were bright with joy.

Embry grinned. "Of course. How about a quick sandwich and some diving?" She giggled.

They made fast work of their sandwiches, then took off unnecessary layers such as shoes and jackets. Laughter echoed off of the cliffs as Embry led Phyre up the path to the diving locations. He told her stories of the boys and their first times diving. They all loved the adrenaline of the dive. But, some were more scared than others.

"Really? I thought Collin would be more fearless than Brady." She chuckled.

Embry grinned. "Yeah, but they were still only 13 at the time."

Phyre stopped. "They phased that young?"

"Yup, there were several issues with large groups of vampires for a couple years. The sheer volume of the threat triggered a lot more changes. But, because the gene is only in the three family lines, there were not as many options. Eventually, there were seven others even younger than Collin and Brady."

She shook her head at that. She couldn't imagine being so young and shifting to a wolf. It was hard enough at 17.

Embry stopped her from going too far down that path. "Once the threat was dealt with and the vampires mostly left, the younger ones stopped phasing. They still keep the secret. But, they returned to just being human. We are all happy for them."

Phyre hugged him tight. "God, this is a lot to learn about."

"I know love. You have all of us to help you. But..." He emphasized the last word. "I did not bring you here for more overwhelming wolf talk." He stretched a hand toward the edge of the cliff.

Phyre looked over as Embry watched her carefully. She slowly stepped back away from the overlook. "Where you hoping to scare me by bringing me to the highest cliff first?" She smirked and ran for the edge. The cool air rushed past her until her feet broke the surface of the colder water. Phyre heard Embry's laughter the whole way. Breaking back through the surface, she wiped her now short black hair out of her face and glared up at him. "What are you waiting for Call?" He quickly followed.

"Damn!" Embry laughed when he caught up to her. "You are reckless woman!"

She grinned. "This should go down as the best first date idea that La Push has to offer!"

He shook his head. "Nope. Most other girls would never have jumped. This is all you."

The couple spent at least an hour repeating the dives and laughing as they climbed back up to the top.

* * *

Phyre and Embry curled up in each others arms on the blanket and ate their chicken and casserole while they talked. The sun would set after about an hour, so they took the time to dry off before moving on to other plans. Embry intended to make the most out of every minute he could get with her.

"Seriously!" Embry chuckled. "It was awful! I was so shy when I was a kid. I could talk to Jake and Quil and that was about it. I had a permanent fear of being called on in class to speak publicly."

"So, what changed?" Phyre asked.

He tilted his head. "The wolf thing. My physical changes drew more attention. My aggression superseded my fears. I figured that if I was gonna have the attention anyway, might as well go for it. After all, I could beat the shit out of anyone that laughed at me for something."

Phyre shook her head. The boys and their need to threaten everyone, constantly. Yeah, she would beat the shit out of anyone that messed with her or someone she cared about. She just didn't feel the need to say it every hour.

"Well, I am glad that you found your confidence."

Embry groaned slightly. "My dad ain't." She looked at him, confused. "He was used to the quiet kid who did what he was told. He wasn't prepared for the smart ass that I became. And, it was embarrassing to him that his own deputies were scared of me for a while."

"Yeah, I don't think he likes me much either." Phyre sighed.

He lifted her chin up to look at him. "It's not you Phyre. Well... okay, maybe a little bit you. I mean, he did catch you shop lifting. But, he will get over that. Especially with the circumstances. He is a pretty reasonable man about that kind of shit. No, most of it is about me. He was not thrilled when I became a wolf. He understands the need for the pack. As Sheriff, he works well with the pack. But, he didn't like how becoming a wolf changed me. And, he sure as hell did not like that it tied me to the rez. He wanted me to go to a university, get a degree and life experience out in the world. Having you in my life just adds to the ties to keep me here."

"Oh." She didn't want to hold him back from anything.

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "And, I am not complaining one bit about that. I am already building a life here. You just make it more of one to look forward to."

She blushed. "You are too sweet." A wicked grin split his face. Trying not to get lost in his lips, Phyre prodded for more. "So, what life are you building here?"

"Well, you know that I work in the garage. Old Quil technically owns the place. Quil's dad owned it. Well, my dad, I guess. Still not used to that. Anyway..." He shook his head. "After the car accident, the ownership went to Old Quil since Quil was only 10 at the time. The plan was that Quil would take it over. However, after the accident, Quil never really wanted anything to do with cars. I can't really blame him. So, the shop sat for a few years. Then, when we all started to shift. Quil and his grandfather had a long talk about the shop. Quil was 16 and could take it over if he wanted. But, Quil thought it would be a good way to help the pack get jobs. Now, it is run kind of like a co-op. Jake, Paul, Seth, and I; we all work together. We set a standardized pay scale and pricing. And we each pay a quarter of the bills for the place. But, whatever we work on is what we get paid from. If I work on 10 cars that week, I get paid the profits of those 10 jobs. If Paul works on 2 cars, but they are more work, they have more profit. He makes that profit. It gives us room to discount if we feel it is warranted. We can work the hours we want to make sure the work gets done. After all, if we are too lazy, we don't get paid. It seems to work."

Phyre smiled at him. "You like working on the cars?"

"Yeah. It is relaxing most of the time, but still offers a bit of a challenge."

"But, you don't own a running car?"

He grinned. "Well, this is a small place. I can pretty much walk anywhere, or turn wolf in the woods and run. Or just bum a ride off the others. General rule is if they need me somewhere at a specific time, they better pick me up. I can get a little distracted if I walk there. No telling what time I will show up." He chuckled.

"Good to know!"

"But, you can distract me any time. They can go to hell and wait while I am with you." Embry's voice dropped low and gravely.

Phyre's toes curled at the sound. "Oh man, is that wickedly delicious."

He growled and rolled over her to kiss her neck. Phyre loved the feel of him around her neck. However, she was hoping he would eventually kiss her lips. "Fuck!" Okay, kissing her lips can wait, that nibble on her ear felt amazing!

He nuzzled once again and spoke softly in her ear. His breath ghosted over shell. "If you keep moaning like that, I am not gonna have any control left."

"Who said I want you to hold back?" She breathed.

"You did, when you asked to go slow." Embry regained composure and pushed himself back. "And, I know for a fact that if we went too fast, Paul and Sam wouldn't just kill me, they'd skin me alive."

Phyre growled. Damn. She went from 0 to 60 way too fast around those boys. She blushed at the memory of what she did with Seth. With the imprint, she did not think about Seth that way at all anymore. But, she still remembered how she felt. Ugh, she wanted to get there with Embry so she would not think about that one experience anymore.

"Fine. What else do you have going on for you?" She asked. Distracting her from her train of thought.

Embry tilted his head. "Let's see, I own my own house. Quil lives with me. I bought it before the car, thus why the car is still not running, just got it six months ago. Quil and I both take online classes. He is working on Criminal Justice or something. I am working toward a degree in Environmental Studies."

Phyre perked up at that. "Environmental Studies?"

"Yeah. You know, I can always be a mechanic. I like it. But, I keep thinking about what happens if the Cullen's move away and we all stop phasing like the younger ones? What if I could leave the rez? With us being wolves we spend a lot of time in the forest. I see a lot. Even if I could not phase, I don't think I could give up that connection to nature. Plus, we have a National Park and a Wildlife Refuge around us. I could work with the parks or on the rez itself and not leave my home, just get out for work."

She looked in his eyes. Those amazing bright amber brown eyes. "You are full of surprises." He blushed.

"And, what do you think about Quil being your brother?" She hesitated to bring it up, but she honestly wanted to know.

He grinned. "Jake and Quil are my best friends. I am happy with either of them. So long as it was not Sam." She couldn't agree more.

"I think it is funny that you work in a shop that Quil's dad ran and is owned by his grandfather now; while Quil works for your dad."

Embry shrugged. "It works better that way. Trust me. Dad never would have survived me working for him." She giggled.


	9. Chapter 9

Phyre found herself once again wondering what Embry had planned. They had spent hours at the beach and diving. But, once the sun set, he rounded everything up for the second part of their date.

Though, he was right that she could dive in her dress and capris just fine, her clothes were now sandy and scratchy and her hair was an absolute mess.

"So, tell me about your brother." Embry prompted as he drove them somewhere.

Phyre looked at him sideways. "Do you really want to know?"

He raised his brow and tilted his head. "Yes. I really want to know. I want to know everything about you. And, Jax is still a big part of who you are." He looked straight at her for a moment before he turned back to watch the road.

She smiled at his efforts. "Jax was a sweet boy. Damn, he was smart too. Always into computers, math, engineering kinds of stuff. He sucked at history or English, but if it was math, science, and codes... he was all for it. He could have been like that guy in 'Good Will Hunting' more brilliant than the college kids, all off of a public library card. Though, I hoped that he would go to college anyway."

"You sound like you were very proud of him."

"I am, or was, I guess." She shrugged.

Embry saw her slip and rushed to get things back onto happier thoughts. "So, what else? Was he into sports, music, theater?"

Phyre rolled her eyes. "Not all gay men like theater and fashion. Such a stereotype. Not that I would have had a problem if he was into that stuff, just would have made thrift store shopping more fun. No, he was more of a classic computer engineer type guy. He liked video games, sci-fi, puzzles, that kind of stuff. He made us celebrate Pi Day and Star Wars Day every year."

"Pi Day?"

"Yeah!" She smiled. "The number, Pi... 3.14159 etc. It is celebrated on March 14th every year. Kind of an ode to all things math and pun related as we would celebrate by eating pies."

Embry laughed. "Alright, we have to put that one on the calendar and make sure we get a pie for Jax."

Phyre's jaw dropped. "You really want to do that?"

Embry smiled at her so warmly. "Of course, can't disrupt a tradition. What about Star War's Day?"

Still not completely over the way her heart had melted at his acceptance of her brother and her traditions, she barely formed the words to answer his question. "May the fourth be with you..."

He started laughing as he understood the reference. Phyre's heart soared. How could any man be so amazing?

Before she knew it, Embry pulled up to a house. "Come on." God, he had the most devilish grin.

"Where are we?" She asked.

He chuckled. "My house. I did a little shopping for you, just some stuff you can keep here in case you need it."

"Oh, a bit presumptuous of you?" Phyre finally shook herself loose from the shock of Embry's earlier conversation.

He narrowed his eyes on her. "If you weren't a wolf, yeah. But, you are. So, rather than you run to my house and be naked in front of Quil, I got a few clothes for you." Then he paused. "Though, if you want to skip the girly clothes and wear my shirts..."

Phyre giggled. "You are bad."

"What? It is over the top hot to think of your sexy body under one of my shirts, draping my scent all over you."

She blushed furiously and dropped her eyes. But, she could hear his breath catch. He cleared his throat. "So, uh, yeah..." He quickly mumbled just loud enough that she could hear with her wolf hearing. "Didn't think I could get any harder." He let out a long slow breath. "So, clothes. Yes, clothes. I have a few things in bags on the shelf in the bathroom if you want to change and clean up before we go to dinner."

* * *

'So, would it be terribly wrong to have sex with him sooner rather than later?' She wondered as she took a quick shower. She couldn't think of any man more perfect than Embry Call. The connection between them was so strong that she could barely stand being in the room alone. The prior days of separation were practically torture. Perhaps it was all just sexual tension? No. the way Paul described everything and the memories from the others in the pack mind said that it was always going to be like that. Even after having sex. Damn. Though, to be honest, seeing all of the guys thoughts about sex did absolutely nothing to help her keep her mind away from thoughts about Embry or her memory of Seth. Ugh.

"What are you thinking about in there?" Embry groaned. Fuck! He could still smell her.

"Theo James." She lied quickly and dropped her head to the cold tile. But, she giggled when she heard him growl.

When she left the bathroom, Embry was quick to wrap an arm around her and pull her close to his chest as he growled. "Why were you getting turned on thinking of another man?"

"I haven't decided yet, if the jealousy is a serious turn on... or a turn off." She snarked. But, to her utter surprise, it wasn't his face that reacted. Rather, his fingers as they slid up to tickle her. Phyre squealed as she tried to wiggle free of his grip. She twisted and pulled and lunged herself down the hall as quickly as she could. Damn, the stairs were down the other way, behind Embry. He cornered her. So, she tried to run into a room and try to get out the window, but he grabbed her hips and threw her on the bed and once again attacked her sides with wiggling fingers. She howled in laughter.

The two had been so caught up in the game, that they had not noticed Quil until he walked in. "Can you at least move this to your room Embry? I don't want your cooties on my bed."

That just made them laugh even harder. "You spend way too much time with Claire." Embry said as he pulled back, but he wasn't done with Phyre yet. He quickly pulled on her arm until he pulled her over his shoulder and carried her down the hall to his own room.

She screamed and kicked the whole way. "Put me down you caveman!"

Once he was in his room, he reached up and popped her on her backside. "Now, tell me the truth. What were you thinking about in the bathroom?"

"I don't take orders from you." She pouted.

He smirked. "No. I didn't expect you to be that complacent. But, I really want you to admit the truth." He tossed her down and climbed over her to cage her in.

She was lost in his eyes. His smile. Everything about him. Her skin tingled in their proximity. "You."

Embry's face glowed in pride. "How did I get so lucky to have a woman like you for my imprint?" Phyre blushed and tried to hide her face. "Don't." He said as he pulled her hands away. "You are beautiful and sexy. You are smart and you make me laugh. Please don't hide from me."

"No one has ever paid this much attention to me before." She whispered.

"Well get used to it my little firefly." He rubbed his nose against hers.

Her face lit up. "Shiny!"

Embry started laughing. "You have seen that show?"

"Yeah! I love sci-fi and fantasy. Oh, and horror movies. Most anything that you would picture as being popular at a comic-con, except graphic novels. Jax wasn't the only sci-fi geek in the house."

"No graphic novels?" He was stunned as he rolled to the side and get comfortable as they talked.

She shook her head. "They are too short. I like the art work, but I really love a good book. Something that I could just get lost in and create my own images of the characters and places."

Embry tilted his head. "Pop quiz... scariest horror movie character?"

"Freddy!" She covered her face again. "Oh God! He could get you in your sleep! No way to hide. And, he was seriously creepy and shit!"

He laughed as she shuddered at the thought of the character.

* * *

There was no way that anyone could have prepared Phyre for the amazing man that she had seen from Embry all day. He spent most of the drive asking about her. Showed that he listened to what she said in his choices with their date. He was open. Easy going. He laughed and teased. He had dreams and plans that were achievable, but still more than just falling into a rut. He was obviously very attracted to her, yet fought to remain in control.

Could people really fall in love in just one night? She didn't know if it was really love yet. But, she could feel herself falling. She was lost in him. The first real happiness that she had ever experienced. And, it scared the shit out of her.

There weren't a lot of restaurant choices on the reservation, or even in Forks. So, they ended up in a bar and grill. Steak! Yum, yum.

"Stop giggling!" Embry pouted. He had managed to spill water all down his shirt and on to his pants.

"I knew you were happy to see me, but ah..." She looked at his lap and the way that the water made the fabric of his khaki shorts cling more to the bulge underneath.

He groaned. "This is all your fault you know."

Phyre looked up with an innocent look on her face. "What did I do?"

Embry's eyes narrowed. "Vixen. You are a sultry vixen." That just made her laugh more.

"Who says that shit?"

"I do! Apparently." That got him to crack and chuckle a little. Well, for half a moment at least.

"Embry? Embry Call?" Embry froze and looked at Phyre. Her eyes shot up and her laughter died. The voice carried over from a curvy blonde waitress with very tight clothing on. "Embry, that is you. Oh baby, I haven't seen you around in ages."

Phyre was livid. They had not even made it through one date before his past slapped her in the face. Her wolf was pacing in jealousy. _'Mine! Mine! Mine!'_

"I'm in the middle of a date." Embry stated through clenched teeth. The waitress had completely ignored Phyre. But, at his statement, she turned a disapproving eye to her. It did not go unnoticed by either of them. "Please leave. Now." He barked.

"Oh come on baby. I know your routine. I am not looking for strings. Though, this one hear looks like she is under the delusion that you will stick around. Poor girl."

Phyre tried to launch herself out of the seat. Her rage was taking over. Thank the ancestors that Embry was next to her and between the two women. Otherwise, Phyre was gonna go full wolf on the bitches ass. But, before she could maneuver around to attack the bitch for her insults, Embry had laid claim to her lips. The shock completely scattered her brain.

"Baby, she is not worth it." Embry said as he pulled back.

"Is there a problem?" Another woman walked up. Older looking, the manager perhaps?

Embry growled. "Yes. This waitress just insulted my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Embry Call does not have girlfriends!" The blonde shrieked.

He turned a deadly glare at the woman. "Just because your a slut that I slept with once does not mean you know me or my future with a woman that I choose. I'll be sure not to invite you to our wedding." Embry turned to Phyre. "Come on love, I lost my appetite." He threw down money and pulled her out of the place as quickly as he could. That kiss wasn't going to keep her human for long.

He barely got her into the alley before she started to shake. "That fucking bitch!"

Embry quickly pushed her against a wall and kissed her again. Phyre wasn't going to let him distract her again. "No!" She pulled away. "That was our first kiss Embry! That bitch ruined our chance at a real first kiss!"

He cupped her face in his hands. "I know. I am sorry for that. But, it was the only way to keep you from losing control in the middle of the restaurant. I will make it up to you. I promise."

Her chest was tight, she was finding it hard to breath. "Not even one day Embry. Not one date. And, everything I feared earlier came true." She was gasping as tears welled in her eyes.

* * *

The car ride home was quiet. Phyre was still pissed, yet fighting with all of her strength to not turn wolf. She didn't want to share it all across the pack mind. It was too fresh and too painful to hold it back. Embry didn't know how to reach her.

The second Embry slowed to pull up to Paul's house, Phyre pulled the handle and jumped from the truck to run into the house with only a slamming door behind her. She barreled her way to her room where she collapsed in tears.

Before long, she could hear foot steps hurry toward her room. Paul raced in and scooped her up, carrying her to the back yard. Phyre didn't even fight him on it. She knew she was too close to phasing to really stay in the house. Once in the backyard, he sat on the steps and cradled her in his lap, running circles over her back. Damn, she wished it was Embry who held her.

"Did he hurt you?" Paul whispered angrily.

"What? No!" Phyre was quick to defend Embry. She wasn't really angry at him. She just didn't know how to process it all.

Paul took a deep breath. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "I feel stupid. Which only makes it all worse."

"Well, I came home to see Embry sitting in Quil's truck, in front of the house, completely messed up. And, you in your room about ready to phase. So, something happened."

"He kissed me."

Paul growled. "Did he force you?"

"No."

"Was he really bad at it?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Phyre started to shake again. "It was supposed to be... Do you remember your first kiss with Anna?"

He was hesitant. "Yes."

She sniffed back her tears. "Was it special?" She asked as she climbed off of his lap.

"Yes."

Her shoulders dropped.

"Phyre, how could your first kiss not be special?"

"He only kissed me to keep me from phasing in the middle of the restaurant. He did the right thing. But, now that moment was stolen from us. By some blonde skank who thought she could flirt with Embry during our date and insult me even after Embry told her to get lost. And, how often is this going to happen? That girls will do this to us? He was with so many girls that he does even remember how many? My wolf wanted to kill her. Literally. Not just beat the shit out of her. To kill her and that scared the shit out of me. And..."

Paul stood up and hugged her again. "You should talk to Embry about this."

"I tried, but every time I opened my mouth to speak, the anger spiked and I was trying so hard not to turn wolf. He could usually calm me down except about this. And, I didn't want to hurt him doing it in the truck." She took a deep breath. "This is so fucked up. We had an amazing date until that fucking whore ruined everything."

"Okay, let's see if I can help enough to get you two talking again." He spoke calmly. "The wolf possessiveness is intense. You don't want your imprint to even smell like anyone else. We all get that. In your case, I think it was a little more so. Like it hit a very personal nerve for you." He tilted his head to see her reaction.

She looked up. "I had just found out about his past earlier today. I told him that I was worried ex-flings would cause drama. Paul, we didn't even get one day before the drama."

He gave a soft smile. "Phyre, the important part isn't his past. It's his present and future. It will take a little time for people to get used to him not being single. But, it will happen. Then, those kind of things will happen a lot less. But, the fact is that he will always get some attention. You have to be prepared for that. We have all been there. Just, focus on what he does during those moments. You said that he told her to get lost. He doesn't want anyone else. He only wants you. You know that."

Phyre growled stubbornly. He made sense. She knew that. But, she wasn't ready to let go yet.

"Besides, he has it worse on the whole jealousy thing." Paul snarked.

"What? I only ever kissed. And, I know exactly who they are."

"Yeah, and that last one was about to become a whole lot more than kissing. Something that Embry not only saw with his own eyes, but has to relive it from Seth's memory every time Seth loses focus on patrol with him. Plus, he has to see you naked through all of his friends eyes when you phase. At this point, he has gotten less of a view and definitely less action from you than his friends have. Not that I am encouraging anything moving faster. But, you are scared of his past. He still has to deal with your present."

Phyre slumped down. She hadn't thought of how he would feel with all of those memories and views in the pack mind. His wolf must really be going crazy. Her anger melted. But, it was replaced with pain. Her chest hurt realizing that she caused him so much frustration and pain. Once the pain settled in, it opened the door to the grief that she had been able to forget for a few hours. Then, came the guilt. That she had an amazing time with Embry before everything happened. Yet, her brother would never be able to know that kind of happiness. Her emotions were a huge jumbled mess.

She broke down in tears once again. "What did I do?" She sobbed. Barely aware of Paul's movements with his phone. He must have texted Embry because moments later Embry ran to the backyard and pulled her into his arms, out of Paul's. Paul quietly went inside to let them talk alone.

"I'm so sorry Embry."

"God, I'm sorry Phyre. I swear I didn't know she worked there."

She sniffed. "I just..."

"Shhh. It's okay. I understand." He scooped her up into his arms. "Come on. It's getting late and you have school tomorrow." He carried her back to her room and laid her down across the bed.

Phyre grabbed his shirt. "Please don't leave." He smiled at her. "Please." With a simple nod, he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shirt, then climbed in to the bed behind her.

She reached over to grab her photo album. "Jax meet Embry. He took me out on my very first date today. I'll have to tell you about it later. Embry, this was my brother, Jax. I am really sorry you two couldn't meet." She cried, hugging the picture book to her chest.

"It's nice that you still talk to him."

"I do every night."

Phyre fell asleep to the comfort of Embry spooning her while running his fingers through her short black hair.

* * *

"You have to tell me everything about your date!" Karen giggled.

Phyre growled. Karen's eyes widened. "That bad?"

"It was perfect until the blonde bimbo waitress screwed up our dinner by hitting on Embry and insulting me." She let out as calmly as possible.

Collin and Brady sucked in their breaths.

Karen gave her a look of sympathy. Then reached in for a hug. "There are some real bitches out there. I am sorry you had that happen. What did he do?"

"Everything right. It still didn't make me happy though. Jealousy sucks." Phyre slumped against her desk.


	10. Chapter 10

Saturday evening, Embry's mother had invited her over for dinner. Phyre wasn't sure what to make of it. She and Embry had only had one date. Friday night was spent at Emily and Sam's with the rest of the pack. And, earlier Saturday was spent in Port Angeles with Anna and Leah. So, it seemed kind of rushed in their relationship. Embry tried to help her relax. He had tried to not tell his mom about the imprint, but when he pushed the question about his father, he had to explain why. Fortunately, she already knew about the pack and what an imprint meant. His mom was just too excited that he met a girl that he was serious about. Que motherly guilt trips about wanting to meet her. Embry promised to make it up to Phyre with a date the following day. Phyre took a deep breath. She could get through this.

"Mom, this is Phyrianna." Embry started introductions, but was cut off as Tiffany Call grabbed Phyre into a hug.

"I am so happy to finally meet you!" The woman's joy was almost tangible. But, finally? Phyre had only arrived in La Push a week before.

Phyre wasn't really sure what to do. She had never met a boy's parents before. "Ah, please call me Phyre."

"Come in, make yourself at home." Mrs. Call said. But, the throat being cleared by Sheriff Call made it very well known that he would be watching her and not to make herself too at home there. Lovely. The man seemed to think she was going to steal from them. "Philip, be nice." Mrs. Call scolded her husband.

"I guess I deserved that." Phyre muttered. It was Embry's turn to clear his throat as he glared at her for taking that responsibility. "It's the truth." Phyre defended. "The only times your dad has seen me was when he caught me shop lifting and again in the garage after I failed at trying to steal a car."

The Sheriff growled. "You were trying to steal a car?"

She shrugged. "I was sick, turned into a wolf, found out I had both a brother and cousin that I didn't know about, then had them turn their backs on me. Kind of a crazy night. I just wanted to get away from the insanity. Even thought about going straight to Forks P.D. and having them commit me to an asylum or something."

Embry and Sheriff Call both scowled at her. Though, probably for different reasons.

Tiffany just squeezed Phyre's hand. "Don't worry dear, things will blow over. I can't imagine the stress and shock you were going through that day. But, it really is lovely to meet you. Any girl that can get my boy to pine like a lost puppy must be special."

"You pined?" Phyre blushed.

Embry shrugged. "Sam wouldn't let me see you for a few days." Then he held out a chair for her at the dinner table. Phyre sat down with a shy glance at the gentleman he was.

"You two are cute. Already so smitten with each other." Mrs. Call said.

"Well, you know mom... What's not to love?" Embry gestured to himself with a cocky grin as he sat beside Phyre.

Oh, that just was not happening. Phyre let out a half laugh. "That arrogance for one." Embry's jaw dropped. However, Phyre did not stop. "That sexy smile of yours won't get you brownie points with me mister."

His mother cackled in laughter. Even the Sheriff chuckled. "Looks like you met your match boy." Embry looked around. Seeing that he was out numbered, he slumped his shoulders.

Phyre leaned over. "Now this side of you... that looks unsure of things... this I like." She nudged him with her elbow and he grinned. "And, I really like when you are confident. Truly confident. Not that over the top womanizing crap."

It was embarrassing once Phyre remembered that they were not alone. She dropped her eyes and blushed fiercely. "So..." Tiffany spoke into the awkwardness. "Philip told me about how you made your way to La Push. I am very sorry you struggled so. However, it sounds like you have a fresh start here. Do you have any plans?" She asked as she carried out a casserole dish of lasagna, a bowl of salad, and a platter of grilled steaks. The woman was obviously used to feeding huge appetites.

Embry helped Phyre fill her plate as she was too shy to take much. He kept adding more. She giggled. "Well, honestly, I don't know yet. There have been so many changes. A month ago, I was studying hard, hoping to get a scholarship to Washington State. I had planned to push my dad to sign over guardianship of my brother to me so that we could just get out." She took a deep breath. "Now... I don't have a little brother to raise and apparently I can't have kids of my own because of the wolf thing. And, for the time being, I am technically a ward of the state until everything is done and the brother I never knew about will become my guardian. Everything has changed."

Phyre drifted off in her grief. Embry hugged her close.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No." Phyre cut the woman off. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "It's alright. It will take time to process it all. But, I am good. And, after Embry told me about the online degrees that he and Quil are working on, I kind of thought I could do the same eventually. If I can still get the scholarships. So, I do have some plans still."

Sheriff Call looked up. "Your taking online courses?"

Embry shrugged. "Yup."

"You never told them?" Phyre chuckled. That boy was determined to push his fathers buttons and then hide his accomplishments. Embry just shrugged. "Silly boy."

"What in?" His father mumbled.

Embry looked over and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Probably meant to say something cheeky. "Environmental Studies. Eventually could work for the Parks or something. Help on the rez. Or travel."

"And you told your new girlfriend, but not your parents?" Again, Embry shrugged. He really wanted to drive his father nuts.

Tiffany tried to save the situation. "So, what are you thinking of getting your degree in Phyre?"

"Psychology." She said quickly. "I wanted to do more to help my brother. With the abuse, the depression, the bullying. I just didn't know how. But, maybe with training, I could help others." Embry smiled with pride.

"Are you sure that you are ready for something like that?" The Sheriff asked. "You still have some issues to work out if you were trying to steal a car."

Embry growled at his step-father. Phyre put a hand on his arm quickly. "I know that I made mistakes that day. Hell, I am still making mistakes as my emotions bounce faster than a ball at an NBA game. And, I probably will make other mistakes through life. But, I know where I am at. In my grief. In my abandonment issues and other baggage. I didn't need Paul or that Mrs. Pullman lady to suggest counseling. I had been seeing a counselor at school for a long time. I am seeking help for my issues. And, I have at least seven more years to work through it all before I get a Masters to get into counseling, let alone try for a PhD."

That managed to crack the Sheriff as his lips tugged up in the left corner.

The rest of the dinner, Sheriff Call and Embry nettled each other into frustration. Phyre liked to see Embry's mind at work. He was fast and sarcastic. He tried to play off as uncaring, but he was so passionate. Tiffany obviously loved both of her men, but shook her head at them together. The poor woman.

By the end of the night, Sheriff Call pulled Phyre aside. "You sound like a good kid with a good head on your shoulders. Stay focused." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture that she saw Embry do as well. "I know the stealing and stuff was mostly out of desperation and I hope you never feel that desperate again. You don't need to feel so guilty or shy around me."

"Thank you."

The Sheriff looked at Embry who was helping his mother clean up the dishes. "You have an affect on him. He seems calmer, more grounded. And, you don't take his stupidity. I really hope he doesn't screw this up."

"And what makes you think that he will?" Phyre was instantly defensive of her imprint. Her wolf snarled at the implied insult.

"I just worry." He said.

She growled. "Yeah, well. I don't know what you worry about. He is 21 years old, already owns a house, is a partner in a business, is taking online classes, and turns into a wolf to protect his people. I don't know very many other college students his age that could claim anywhere near that level of stability, strength, and maturity."

He tilted his head. "And, I don't know many 17 year olds that would recognize those traits, let alone value them the way you seem to. You both had to grow up too fast. And, you carry a lot of weight on your shoulders. I try to walk a fine line between wanting to be the father that wants his son to be carefree and young, and being the Sheriff that wants enough maturity that laws and hearts don't get broken. I make my mistakes as well. But, I try to find the balance between the two." He leaned over to give a chaste kiss against her forehead. "Welcome to the family Phyre."

* * *

"Fucking hell!" Phyre screamed as she turned wolf in the woods just outside of the school, the following Tuesday morning.

"What happened?" Sam and Embry both questioned in the pack mind.

She growled. "Stupid pricks." Her anger was tangible through the pack mind.

"Can you make it toward us safely?" Sam asked.

She had to crouch to maneuver the paths closer to the buildings, but she made her way to open forest and ran in the direction that Sam and Embry were. Along the way, she replayed her memory of heading to class to see some of the younger students bullying another classmate. It was a nerve that was still so open and raw. She wanted to rip the punks apart, but Brady was there to pull her out to the trees.

"Well, it looks like you are learning your triggers." Sam stated. "Jealousy and bullying seem to be what set you off the fastest."

Embry nuzzled her until she calmed. "Your alright Phyre."

"Can we just run?" She asked as she absorbed the comforting support from Embry, he still calmed her so much. She could have turned human and gone back to class, but she was scared she would see those kids and blow up again.

Sam gave her a small nudge. "Yeah. But, you are not making it a habit to skip school."

"I do have scholarships that I am trying to get, remember? Bailing from school too much would screw that up." She retorted.

Embry nudged her. "So, what do you plan on doing when you do go back?"

"I don't know yet, I want to do something about the bullying. But, beating the crap out of the bullies only makes me the bully. I do recognize that."

"That is a relief to hear." Sam remarked. Phyre rolled her eyes.

Embry paused. "Perhaps you could form your own pack."

Sam and Phyre stopped and looked at him. "Huh?"

"You know. That safety in numbers thing. Take those kids that are being picked on under your wing and help them build strength together. The way we do as a pack."

Phyre slowly let the pride spread over her and then pounced to tackle Embry to the ground. "You are brilliant, and wonderful, and sexy, and amazing, and..."

"Okay, I get it." Embry laughed as she licked all over his face. "Your welcome." He beamed from the compliments and affection. But, mostly because he felt her emotions and how much she really meant ever word. But, Sam was there, he didn't want things to get too personal.

Sam rolled his eyes and laughed at them quietly.

The three of them continued the patrol along the eastern border. When they caught the whiff of something sickeningly sweet. Phyre knew from Sam and Embry's thoughts that it was a vampire. It was the first time that she smelled a vampire and her wolf was desperate to track it down and kill it. The instinct to kill their enemy was strong.

"Slow down Phyre. I want you in between Embry and I. Your first hunt. Let's play it safe." Sam said.

She followed orders as they raced through the woods, tracking the scent. It was fresh and the creature was not too far ahead of them. She had learned that vampires could run fast, but the wolves were faster. As they realized the direction that the trail was headed, they pushed even harder, the cold one was headed toward a cluster of houses at the southern end of the reservation. There were three young families that lived there with children too young to go to school yet.

"Embry, flank left. Phyre, flank right." Sam ordered. They obeyed. Phyre replayed what Sam had taught her in her head. Don't let the vampire get it's arms around the body. Try to remove the head. The body must be burned. By the time they caught up the very pale looking man with long brown hair, Phyre let her wolf take over. Let instinct be her guide. One vampire against three wolves was not a balanced match.

At one point, the bloody leech had turned on Phyre. She fought on pure adrenaline and wolf instinct. But, Embry panicked. He tried to get in the middle of the fight rather than just attack the vampire. He was more focused on trying to protect her than ending the fight. In the chaos of the change in tactics, the vamp had managed to break Phyre's arm. She howled in the pain. And, Embry rushed to her side.

"Damn it Embry! Stay focused!" Sam yelled. "Kill the enemy first." He used his alpha command.

Embry returned to the fight, though his emotions showed he really wanted to disobey and stay with Phyre.

As Phyre tried to regain focus and push through the pain, she heard movement to her right. She turned to see two children hesitantly walking toward them, drawn by the sounds of the fight.

"Sam!" Phyre screamed, showing him that the kids were too close. "They can't be here."

He could see what she was thinking. "Go. Phase and get them out of here."

She turned human quickly though the shifting of her bones as her limb was broke made her scream out in the pain.

"I'm alright Embry. Stay focused." She said through gritted teeth before she ran through the trees and ferns to scoop up the boy and girl. They looked like they were around two and three years old. They squirmed and fussed against her which added to her pain. Her arm was not badly broken, but bad enough that she should not have been carrying a two year old that was fighting to get away. She made her way back to the tree line to see a worried young woman looking around for the two little ones. She set them down and told them to run back to her.

The two year old quickly obeyed and screamed about the mean lady. That just panicked the young woman more. She called out for the older boy who stuck his tongue out at Phyre and then ran to join his sister. Phyre would have stepped out to sooth her worry, but she was naked and there was still a vampire fight going on not too far away. The fear would help the woman rush the kids inside.

Phyre turned, only to see the vampire make one last run at her before Embry and Sam were able to get a firm hold and take the creature down.

She was pissed.

She was in pain which set off her anger to start with. But, she wasn't a little girl to be protected. She was part of the pack. Yes, it was her first fight, but she didn't think she was doing anything wrong or fighting poorly.

Once Sam and Embry killed the leech, Embry phased and ran back to her side to check on her.

"Embry!" Sam scolded. "Phyre is a part of this pack now. She has to be trusted to fight. This got way too close for comfort because you were distracted."

Embry whimpered. "I know. My human mind knows. But, my wolf was so desperate to keep her safe. She's my imprint. That is what my wolf is supposed to do, protect my imprint."

"And you are mine, it was hard to watch you fight without me because I was stuck here useless with the broken limb. I wanted to protect you too. But, Bree, I have to be a part of the pack, not the pack mascot to be played with and pushed aside when things get dangerous."

Sam sighed. "You were not useless. You noticed the children and protected them. You did good Phyre. But, we have never had an issue of two wolves being imprinted together before. The instinct to protect each other is strong. Obviously it can be distracting from the function of the pack during a fight. We are going to have to work on that. For now, I don't want you two patrolling together. We need to make sure that you are both clear headed enough to focus on the goal."


	11. Chapter 11

It was Saturday morning. Halloween!

Phyre had made it through a week and a half of school and had gotten a hold of herself enough that people weren't treating her like she was breakable any more. Yeah, she had the one outburst at school, but everyone understood the trigger. Her emotions still ran everywhere as she still processed her grief. But, Embry had taken some time away from work to spend with her after school while her arm healed. Thank goodness for the accelerated wolf healing! By Saturday Phyre was itching to go with Anna to Port Angeles for the kickboxing.

Phyre really liked Anna once she got to spend more time with her. The first week, Anna stayed at her uncles house with the baby. So, they didn't have a lot of time to really talk. But, the following weekend, she returned to the house and took Phyre to Port Angeles for the first time. So, they had a chance to get to know one another and bond. Rory was absolutely fucking adorable. A total daddy's girl. Phyre had a hard time wrapping her head around the idea that the angry man she met that first night and the goofy daddy playing with the baby were the same person. She watched as Paul made airplane sounds as he fed his little 'jelly bean'.

Embry walked into the house. "Hey guys." Phyre ran to wrap herself around him. "Miss me firefly?"

She nodded quickly. He hugged her tighter.

Paul growled softly and smirked. "Glad to see you two getting along. But, seriously? You have to be _**on**_ him like that in the living room?"

Phyre scoffed. "Please. Don't think I don't know what you and Anna did to have Rory over there. And, trying for a second?" But, she jumped down just as her phone started going off. "Hey there sexy. You ready for the party tonight?" She winked at Embry who grinned. She knew he could hear Karen's voice, so no issues there. "Yup, we will see you then."

Paul laughed. "Did she tell you what that ringtone is?" He asked Embry.

Embry chuckled and dropped his head. "Yeah, I know what it is. I think it's cute."

"Never mind. I should have known better than to bring you into it Call. Of course you would make it about how cute your imprint is." Paul deadpanned. "The only one in the pack to have a ringtone called Bad Wolf."

Phyre put her hands on her hips. "And, how many of you losers would even know what it was? At least I told you."

"Hey! I recognized it." Embry defended.

She rolled her eyes. "Only because I made you watch Dr. Who with me."

"I actually kind of like the show. And, I really like that you like sci-fi and horror movies." Their second attempt at a real date had been an all day marathon of their favorite movies and tv shows at his house. Thank technology for streaming videos on demand! They actually liked a lot of the same stuff. Phyre was a little more up on sci-fi than Embry, but he wasn't opposed to watching anything she wanted. And, he swore that it wasn't just because of the imprint. He actually liked it all as well. He just hadn't had a lot of time to watch much between the pack, work and school. So, for several nights during the week, they were curled up on his couch watching Doctor Who together. Especially after the broken arm incident. Couldn't do much else.

Paul groaned. "Of course you do."

Embry grinned. "A girl who likes horror movies and sci-fi is damn sexy! Just like a girl who likes heavy metal is..."

That finally got Paul to relent. "Yeah, I have to admit, coming home to Anna dancing around the house to Godsmack, is pretty damn hot."

Phyre beamed up at Embry for his compliment. He waggled his brows down at her. "Phyre has been dancing too."

"Speaking of weird things that turn men on... tattoos. When am I going to get my pack tattoo?" She asked.

Paul shook his head. "Sam agreed to wait until we know those Social Services people are done. Don't need them questioning things over a tattoo."

"Fine." She pouted. Then looked up at Embry. "Oh, I have something to show you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs.

"What is going on?" He laughed as she pushed him to sit on her bed.

Phyre gave him a devilish grin. "Costume show and tell. For the Halloween party tonight." Then she went to the bathroom to change.

"I was thinking of dying the under layers of my hair teal while we are in Port Angeles today." She talked as she changed.

"Teal would look good on you." He agreed. "Well, any color would look good on you. Except blonde. Can't stand blondes anymore."

She grinned at the thought of him being completely turned off by the bitch waitress. A few more touches and...

When Phyre walked out to show him the costume, Embry's jaw dropped. She watched with amusement as he went from being stunned, to being completely turned on, to realizing that other men would see her in that costume and jealousy took over.

She had walked out in a very form fitting 'Mistress of the Dark' outfit with a short jagged skirt that held a very wide and high slit up the right thigh to end at her hip bone, and an even lower neckline almost to her navel. It wasn't possible to wear a bra or panties with that dress.

"No way in hell! You can't walk out of this house in _**that**_!"

They could hear laughter from down the hall where Anna was putting laundry away.

Embry looked confused, but still pissed.

Phyre wanted to keep things going, get angry that he was being controlling and shit. But, she couldn't do it. Her face split into a wide smile as she started to laugh too as she leaned against the door frame seductively. "Don't worry baby. This one was just for you. I am wearing this one to the party tonight." She held up a GhostBuster's full length jump suit that she had carried out behind her back.

His eyes darted back and forth between the two ensembles before he finally joined into the laughter as well. "You fucking tease!" He wiped a hand over his face. "I was damn near ready to call the whole damn pack to barricade you in if you tried to leave in that."

Anna giggled as she walked down the hall to head down stairs. "You were so easy to set up Embry."

He collapsed backward, onto the bed. They could hear Anna describe the dress to Paul who bust out laughing as well. Then, she suggested that Paul take her and Rory for a walk for a bit. After taking a few breaths, Embry lifted his head to get another look at Phyre in the sexy costume. "Now that I am not about to die of a heart attack, let me see you some more." He smirked.

Phyre blushed as she watched him climb back out of her bed and stepped back to pick up her photo album. "Sorry Jax, not sure you want to see this." He grinned and closed it.

Embry turned and stalk his way toward her. He was every ounce of the predator that she knew him to be. And, it sent shivers skittering across every millimeter of skin, from her head to her toes. Her breast tightened and her nipples hardened as he drew closer. Slowly. She could see her lust mirrored in his face.

After the first date fiasco that messed up their first kiss, Embry had pulled back from her. Not from spending time with her. But, from the physical pursuits. He would not touch her anywhere suggestive. He would not try to kiss her. Even if she tried to kiss him, he pulled away. Not that he had done much of anything before, but it was even less after. That of course sparked another fight. But, he had said that he wanted to honor her wishes to go slow. And, he knew that if he kissed her lips, he would want more. However, more than that, he wanted it to be something that they both felt right offering. Not just to rush into it out of a need to correct a mistake. Not just in the heat of the moment. But, something planned. Something chosen. Something that they would remember. A new start on their first kiss and perhaps more.

Karen and Anna had helped her set him up for this moment. The shock. The laughter. The raw sexuality of the moment. It would be memorable.

As he closed in the distance, Phyre bit down on her lower lip in anticipation. He growled at the gesture. He stopped so that his body was only an inch from hers.

"Please tell me to stop." He growled deeper. Like hell she would. She had planned for it all. It was what she wanted. She wanted him.

There was a moment, where the world seemed to stop. Her heart, his breaths, even the ticking of the clock all stood still. "I want this." Was all she could whisper before he crashed onto her lips.

Her lips parted quickly. Granting him access to her. And, he made use of the open gates. Fuck! He was passion overload. He ravaged her mouth as if he had been lost in the Sahara and he could suckle the water to live from her. His hands had found their way to her face. They cupped her cheeks tenderly, a stark contrast from the intensity of his lips and tongue. Her fingers dug into his hips, trying to pull him closer. Her lungs burned and her head spun. But, she would not stop, could not stop. She wanted him more than anything.

There was an audible gasp as Embry pulled away. They had both been starved of air for too long. They had a lot to make up for in their 'first kiss' do over. Embry lowered his forehead to hers as they fought to catch their breath.

"Do you have any idea just how badly I have wanted to do that?" He asked.

She smirked. "I hope at least half of as much as I wanted you to."

A grin tugged at his lips. "I should stop now before things go too far."

Phyre looked him in the eye. "Do you think that you could hold back from intercourse?"

He quickly sucked in his breath. "Are you sure you want to offer so much?"

"You are mine, Embry Call. And, I am yours. Imprints, friends, and more. It is freaky weird since I have only known you for two weeks. But, I am starting to just accept it. I want you. I want my scent on you. I want your scent on me. I'm just not ready for that last step yet."

The distance between their lips disappeared once again. However, that kiss was wildly different from the first. The first was full of the passion and sexual tension that had been restrained for so long. The second was soft, slow, sensual. The first was silent in the absence of breath. The second pulled all sorts of sounds of pleasure from each of them. Phyre melted into the kiss as Embry's hands lightly drifted down from her cheeks. Ghosting over the skin of her neck, lightly caressing her shoulders as they continued to slide their way down her back and finally stopped to cup her backside. The moment that his fingers dug into her, she groaned.

"Are you still good firefly?" He whispered against her lips before he began kissing his way to her ear.

"Shiny." She gasped. She loved the pet name that he had given her. But, she couldn't help but think of the tv show with the same name.

The lower his lips worked their way down her neck, the lower his hands could roam. Until he had just enough leverage that he pulled her legs up to wrap around his waist. The shift in height granted him more access to the exposed skin around her collar bone. His hands slid their way back up her thighs until they were under her dress and caressing her ass once again. Her back pressed against the door frame.

He groaned. "The fact that you don't wear panties drives me crazy."

"They get in the way." She breathed.

"That, they do." He chuckled.

Phyre was... well, on fire! Her body was exploding in heat and need for Embry. Her hands had been exploring the muscles of his back, but she wanted his shirt off. She needed it off. She needed to feel his skin. But, when she tried to pull it off, he would not cooperate. So, she grabbed the collar and ripped the damn thing down the middle.

"Eager beaver." He tsked as he nuzzled his face between her breasts.

"You have no idea." She groaned at how true that statement was, in every way.

Embry shifted her slightly to turn and carry her away from the still open door. He kicked it closed before walked her to the bed and crawled into the middle as he lowered her down. One hand slid its way up her side to the neckline that barely covered anything. He hooked one finger under the fabric just enough that as he grazed her skin from collar bone, around the outside of one breast, and down to the bottom of her rib cage, the fabric pulled away with it. Exposing her taught peak. Embry chewed on his lower lip as he savored the sight. Then, he repeated the motion on the other side so that both breasts were there before him.

Bright ambered eyes locked on chocolate brown as he licked his way across her abdomen until he teased at the underside of her breast. He was dishing out his punishment for her prank with the outfit, Phyre was sure of it. She wanted more. She needed more. Yet, he went so damn slow! However, nothing had prepared her for the explosion of pleasure she would receive when he reached her nipple. She knew she wanted it. But, fucking hell wasn't enough of an expletive for the feeling of his mouth around her puckered nub. Her back arched as she screamed out in pleasure. Her hands buried themselves in his shaggy black hair, pulling his head closer to her body. Never wanting him to stop.

Yet, his only reaction as to chuckle. Pompous asshole. He knew what he was doing to her. She would get him back. One way or another, she would.

By the time, he moved over to her other breast, her hips were bucking and rolling of their own accord. Her breathing had become more of a pant. She begged him for more. Embry pulled back from her nipple with a loud pop. The spike of electricity that ran through her made her whole body spasm at the sensation.

Trails of heat has scorched her skin as his hands explored, but they drew her focus the closer they moved toward the juncture between her legs. Embry's fingers ran just along the folds of skin separating them from the most sensitive areas.

"Don't stop." She begged. Her breath caught in her throat as he obliged her request.

He groaned against her nipple as he slid his finger over her slick heat. "Damn honey, you are so wet."

She had no words. Her head was spinning as he teased her body. His mouth still at her breasts as his fingers moved faster and faster over bundle of nerves. The heat built. Her body tightened. Then she exploded into ribbons of ecstasy. Screaming Embry's name as she reached her first orgasm given to her by anyone.

"Phyre." He whispered between nips at the sensitive flesh along the bottom of her breast as she came down from her high.

"Hmmm?" She was at a loss for words.

"Honey, you need to get cleaned up and ready for our day trip to Port Angeles. We don't have time for more today."

She whined. She really wanted more. But, Embry slid his way up to be next to her and pulled her into his arms. "There is no rush. We have the rest of our lives." He kissed her lips lightly. "But, I am really happy that I get to do this now." He kissed her again. "And, I really, really, like the costume."


	12. Chapter 12

Collin and Brady picked Phyre up before going to get Karen. Phyre wouldn't let Embry go to the party. She didn't want him to look like a creeper, a 21 year old hanging out at a high school party. She knew that there were enough judgments just in dating her. She didn't want to add to it. He relented when she reminded him that the entire school already knew that she was his girlfriend as well as Paul's sister. Not one single guy even tried to talk to her at school except for Collin and Brady. Even in Biology class, Mr. Samuels had partnered her with Karen.

Collin and Brady had really taken to Karen once Phyre had accepted her. She was a little socially awkward, however they all were in their own ways. But, she was bright, funny, honest, and utterly charming as a friend. Though, Collin had been a little disappointed when Karen and Phyre had rescinded Karen's previous offer for a romp, he smiled and said that he wouldn't want to make things awkward with his friends anyway.

That, however, took a bizarre turn when Karen learned that everyone from Forks High was invited to the party as well. Her face dropped when she realized her ex and former friends could be there. Collin stepped up to offer to be her date. Firm boundaries were put in place, lots of flirting and maybe making out as needed, possibly disappear together if she got too upset, but absolutely no actual sex. Just enough to rub it in everyone's face that Karen Beckett had nothing to be ashamed of. That she had one of the hottest guys in the Forks area to cuddle up with.

Phyre was really proud of Collin for that. They had all become such close friends in such a short time.

Phyre had helped Karen pick out a costume when they went shopping with Anna a few days prior. Karen and Anna had helped her find the perfect outfit to prank on Embry. So, Phyre helped Karen find something equally as sexy, though maybe not quite as revealing. Karen ran out of her house in the sexiest, skimpy, Goth Zombie outfit they could pull together at the thrift store. She wore a super short plaid skirt over a garter belt that held up thigh high hose full of strategically placed holes. The tears and holes exposed make-up effect cuts and rotting flesh in a few places, but mostly showed tons of luscious thigh. Over that, she wore a very tight tank top that showed lots of cleavage and midriff, along with two more patches of glued on make-up effects of her ribs being exposed. Wrapped all up with knee high boots and heavy make up around her face.

The boys were truly impressed. "Damn, that Eli guy said she was too fat to get hard? I am hard enough to break something." Brady groaned. Collin quickly agreed before Karen could hear. Phyre chuckled at the boys. But, she was proud of her friend for standing up for herself and showing Forks High, just what they lost.

And, oh, did that plan work amazingly well. Not even ten minutes after they arrived, Phyre saw a guy leering at Karen from behind.

"Well, hello sexy." He purred.

Karen turned to face him. "Shove off Eli." She sneered.

"Karen?"

Phyre could see all of his friends gathered behind him. Oh, things were going to get good.

Karen crossed her arms and stared the asshole down. The movement accentuated her cleavage. "Yeah. The 'sexy' girl you threw under the bus."

Collin rushed in to play his roll. "Hey baby, I couldn't find that foo foo drink you wanted. But, I got you a..." He paused for affect and looked around. "Karen, everything alright?"

Everyone looked up at Collin with wide eyes. They all knew who he was. His reputation for only hooking up with really hot girls, _and_ the one about cracking skulls when he lost his temper. The guys shrunk back slightly. The girls all drooled openly. But, Eli full on cringed as Collin slid a possessive hand across the exposed skin of Karen's back, just above the waist of her skirt. Phyre had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, babe." Karen answered. "Just my loser ex." Then she turned to walk off.

Collin held back a few seconds to smirk after her. Then he turned to Eli. "Your an idiot to screw a girl like that over. But, I am glad you are. She is one hell of a sexy kitten in bed." He sucked his teeth and visibly shuddered before going in search of 'his woman'.

Eli's jaw dropped. It took him a few moments to realize that he had just been handed his ass in public. He started to move to follow, but Brady threw up a hand against his chest. It was only then, that the group even realized that Brady and Phyre were there. Dumbasses.

The glare that Eli threw Brady was short lived as he realized Brady was just as big and intimidating as Collin. In a rash act of defensiveness, he tried to sound macho. "Why don't you two go back to making out and stay out of my business."

Brady frowned slightly and looked at Phyre. "Were we making out?"

She shook her head. "Idiot is already too drunk or stupid to know better."

The well muscled Quileute boy shrugged. "Just checking on how much I have to dumb this down." Then he turned back to Eli. "Simple words here... You will never try to talk to Karen again."

"Who in the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do?" Eli roared. The whole house went quiet.

"I am her friend. Her _**real**_ friend who can see the pain you put her through." He said pointedly at the group behind Eli. "What in the hell kind of man throws a woman under the bus for his own insecurities?"

"Whatever she told you, she is a lying bitch. She was the problem, not me."

Brady bounced his head as if he was weighing out options. "See, here is the issue that I have with that. Karen never told me what happened. I have heard the rumors. And, since you just blamed her, I assume you started them. Now, what I want to know is how in the fuck anyone can look at her tonight and think for one minute that those gorgeous curves on her body would prevent a guy that supposedly loved her and dated her for a year, from getting hard. Hell, I got hard looking at her, not even touching or getting her naked. She is hot! Wish she was mine to take home." Brady pondered a bit as Eli's face turned darker and darker red.

"You really think you know anything about what happened between us?" He sneered.

Brady had been waiting for the opening, Phyre knew it. Too bad Eli was too stupid to see it. "Yeah. I do. I know that haunted look that she had in her eyes. It is a kind of pain that does not just come from being embarrassed. It comes from being used. Let me guess, you were too excited and popped your load off early, then rushed to prove you were really a man, so you didn't pay any attention to her and hurt her when you took her virginity in your selfish quest. Then you had the nerve to spread lies about her to hide the fact that you used her so badly?" Eli was fuming. It was obvious to everyone there, that Brady had hit the nail on the head. "You need to fucking man up and learn what foreplay is and how to take care of your partner before you hurt them. And, you never blame them for your failures."

That sent Eli into a full on rage. Brady smirked and dodged his punches. Phyre was barely holding her rage, but when Eli missed Brady again and nearly landed it on her, she let loose and threw the asshole to the ground. The wind rushed out of his lungs as he lay looking up at them.

"Fucking bitch." Eli he barely croaked out.

Phyre stopped and glared down at the boy. "You might want to watch your mouth."

Brady chuckled. "You play with Phyre, you will get burned." He laughed again at his own joke. Phyre rolled her eyes.

"She is nothing more than another Uley wanna be."

"Wanna be?" She looked around. "Anyone here think I am a wanna be?"

Travis, whose house the party was at, finally laughed, breaking some of the silence that surrounded them. "Eli, give it up and leave. You just insulted Sam Uley's cousin and Paul Lahote's sister. She _**is**_ a Uley, you idiot."

"And, if what Brady said was true about what you did to Karen, then I want to leave." One of the girls who had been behind Eli stated. She turned to her boyfriend. "If you stay friends with him, you can have him, without me." Then she stormed out the door. Three others followed.

Phyre winked at Karen as she hid just around the corner to have been able to hear everything, tears rolled down her cheeks as Collin hugged her close and soothed her. Phyre was never one to bully the bully, it would only perpetuate the problem. However, in their case, Brady aired out the truth. The fall out would be up to Eli. She really hoped that he learned his lesson and managed to survive the rest of high school without more issues. But, she wasn't going to worry about the jack ass any more. As long as he stayed away from her friend, it was over in her book.

* * *

The rush of rage from the showdown had Phyre edgy and anxious. So, she let Brady know where she was headed, then snuck out to the woods where she quickly turned wolf.

"Phyre, you alright?" Embry's voice sounded panicked.

She smiled. "Yeah, Bree. I am good. I phased out of choice to burn off my emotions. Don't panic."

"But, the party?"

"Is still going strong." She could feel him turn toward her location. She ran toward him.

Seth mentally cleared his throat. "Glad you are alright Phyre."

"So, what happened?" Sam asked. Sam and Seth were technically on schedule to cover for Collin and Brady so they could go to the party. Embry was just being over protective Embry. Wanted to be in the mind if she flew into a fur ball at the wrong time. Plus, it let him burn off his own anxiety when she went without him. Phyre could totally read him. She was so not surprised he was wolf when she got there.

Phyre sighed and showed her memory of the party.

"What a fucking douche bag." Seth growled. "Glad Collin and Brady put him in his place. Poor Karen, she is a sweet girl and didn't deserve that."

Phyre paused. "You know Karen?"

Seth sighed. "Not really. Just seen her around, small reservation and all."

Sam groaned. "Just be careful Phyre. Having friends who don't know the secret is risky."

"I know Sam. But, she is really sweet and I like having a girl to talk to at school."

"I am just saying to be careful."

Once Embry and Phyre met in the middle of the forest, they both shifted back to human form. Naked, alone, and desperate to wrap themselves in each other's arms and kiss each other senseless once again. By the time they pulled apart to catch their breath, Embry was begging her to let him go back to the party with her, so he could make sure there were no other problems. Although, she suspected he just didn't want to let go of her hand. Such a sap. But, she loved it.

* * *

Two weeks later, Karen, Collin and Brady; were at the house with Phyre as they worked on some school work in the kitchen. They were making use of some quiet time around the house as Paul and Anna were both still at work and Rory was at the daycare. Even Embry was stuck at work with a particularly stubborn engine to fix. Ah, the idea of quiet. Well, that was the plan, but the boys certainly did not stay quiet.

"Stop raiding the food Brady!" Phyre scowled.

"But, I'm hungry!" He whined.

She glared at him. "Other people live here, who are not you. If you are that hungry, order pizza or go to Sam and Emily's. It is Friday night, there would be a big dinner."

He grumbled, but ordered the pizza. Normally, they would be at Emily's on a Friday, but with Karen there, they didn't want to expose her to too much. So, Paul's house it was.

They all ate and laughed as they pushed through the homework. By the time they all finished, Phyre was nearly in tears as Collin danced around the kitchen with a pretend partner, just to prove he could. For such a big man, he was very light on his feet. Well, that was a wolf thing. But, they wouldn't explain that to Karen.

They were all laughing so hard, Phyre almost didn't notice as Seth came into the house. "Hey guys."

"Seth! What's shaken bacon?" Phyre called out, still laughing.

"Paul asked me to stop in and check you you idiots." He gave a wide grin, as he eyed Collin who had come to a dead stop. "Anna's car got a flat, so he went to pick up Rory and then over to Forks to get her car running. He was thinking of taking the girls out for dinner while they were in Forks anyway. Anna likes that Asian place."

Phyre was confused. "Why did he ask you and not Embry?"

Seth laughed. "That engine is seriously giving Embry a hard time. He has at least another half hour of work left before he can even walk away from it for the night."

"Fine, fine. We are all good here." She rolled her eyes at the way Paul felt they needed to be checked up on. Then, she saw Karen who was looking at Seth with a slight blush on her cheeks. Damn, Phyre had not even realized he walked in without a shirt on. "Oh, Karen, this is Seth Clearwater. Seth, this is Karen Beckett."

Seth had been so busy looking at the boys and Phyre, and then stealing a slice of pizza, he looked up confused at the introduction at first. "Oh. Sorry." He blushed and put the pizza down so that he could offer a hand. "Nice to meet..." And it died.

The two of them just stared at each other for the longest time. Phyre's eyes went wide as she turned to Collin and Brady who were shaking in silent laughter.

Phyre couldn't keep it in anymore as she broke down in laughter as well. This was perfect! Karen would get to learn the secret and become part of the family! She was so excited. No more worry over hiding things and watching what she said around her. It always bothered Phyre that she had to hide so much from someone so genuinely honest with her. And, Phyre had still felt bad for how everything went down with Seth her first night there. Now, he would be happy. Karen would be happy. Everyone could be happy! Yeah, yeah, Phyre didn't need to go planning their wedding yet. But, she could be excited that Seth just imprinted on Karen.

Seeing their awkward blushes made Phyre laugh even more, and miss the hell out of Embry.

"Seth, why don't you order yourself your own pizza and stay for a while? Karen, I trust that you will be nice to my friend here." Phyre quickly pecked Seth's cheek chastely, then hugged Karen. "Karen is going to stay the night here so she could go with Anna, Leah, and I to Port Angeles in the morning. So, we were going to have a movie marathon. Followed by Saturday kickboxing. Wanna join for the night Seth?"

Seth let a devilish grin slide across his lips. "If Karen doesn't mind." He still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Karen blushed even more and giggled as she nodded her head yes.

"Great! Then, Seth, can you keep Karen company for a bit. I need to go check on Embry. Boy's can you give me a ride?" She practically pulled Collin and Brady out the door. They all erupted into laughter once again outside.

Brady wiped tears from his eyes. "Good for those two. They would be good together. It's about time Seth found someone. He has had the hardest time."

"Why?"

"Well, Seth is just too damn nice. The girls usually end up putting him in the 'friend zone' before he could get any action. He has only managed to get hot and heavy a couple of times because of it." Phyre groaned at the reminder of being one of his near misses. More guilt for screwing things up so badly. No. Seth just imprinted on Karen. So, it will all work out just fine.

Collin growled. "He had better be good to her."

Phyre furrowed her brows. "Jealous?"

Collin rolled his eyes. "It's not like that. I just really like her, as a friend. Almost like a sister."

"That you were willing to make out with at a party just to mess with her ex." Brady reminded him. Collin just shrugged.

Phyre leaned her head on his shoulder. "I know what you mean. We just want her to be happy."

"Yeah."


	13. Chapter 13

Phyre jumped out of the boys truck and ran into the garage.

"We're closed." Embry's voice rang out as he dropped something. "Son of a bitch. Why won't you fucking loosen up? One more fucking bolt so I can pull this damn thing out."

She shook her head. "Poor baby."

Embry shot his head up and hit the back of it on the the car. Oops! She winced. He grasped the knot that was sure to be forming. "Hey there sexy."

"I'm sorry Bree. Didn't mean to get you hurt." She walked over to hug him and check his head, not too bad.

He wrapped his long muscular arms around her. "I am never gonna regret seeing you. Under any circumstances. But, could you give me a minute to get this?"

"Of course. So, how is it that a big strong man like you can't unscrew the bolts?"

He growled. "If I used too much strength, I just break the damn head off leaving the rod inside. Makes it even harder to get out. Did that three times already."

The pout on his face was just too adorable. Phyre decided to keep herself busy while he worked. So, she wandered around the garage. She had not been back since that first night. She knew that Embry didn't associate the garage with her naked. But, he did associate the idea of her naked in the garage to Seth. It was a hard memory to get past. But, now Seth imprinted on Karen... So, maybe it was time to make some new memories. There was a green pick up truck in the last stall, so she dropped the tailgate. Then, she wandered into the office and found a blanket that she laid across the back of the truck. Then, she pulled off her dress and capris and laid down to wait for Embry.

She heard his excitement when he finally got that last bolt off.

"Firefly?"

"I am in the back of the truck." She answered.

He snorted. "Make yourself comfortable I guess. I just need two more minutes to get this engine out and secure." She heard chains rattling and winding as the pulleys lifted the engine into the air. But, Phyre was getting impatient. She wanted this to be a very different memory. Not just kissing and touching. The truck would work for later, but first...

Embry called over his shoulder while he was at the sink. "You still good? I am all done, just need to wash my hands." But, Phyre waited no more.

A gasp of shock left his lips as she pulled him away from the sink and pressed him against the wall. The gasp was replaced by a groan as he got a good look at her naked. "What are you doing love?"

"Paul and Jake are in Forks. Seth is at my house. So, we are alone." She purred as she pressed her bare flesh against his body.

"Seth was supposed to be looking after you." He growled as he dropped his head to capture her lips.

Phyre pulled back just enough to speak against him. "He got distracted by Karen. He imprinted on her."

A low, feral growl rumbled in his chest. Not angry, but prideful. Seth would no longer be a threat of any kind to his relationship with Phyre. Not that he ever really was, but there had been lingering fears. Everyone knew that. But, with an imprint of his own. It was all sealed. Seth would no longer pine over the missed opportunity. The memories would not come up on patrol. It would all become history.

Embry's thoughts scattered as Phyre unzipped his coveralls and slid the fabric off of his shoulders. The whole thing pooled at his ankles. Only a pair of boxers remained.

He tried to pick her up, but she refused. "No. I am taking control." She bit on his lip and tugged. He groaned.

One hand at a time, Phyre maneuvered his arms above his head and ordered him to hold on to the bar above him. She was sure it had some purpose in the shop, but for the moment, all she cared was that he kept his hands there and let her have her wicked way with him. And, for the most part, he obeyed.

Her lips, tongue, and fingers explored every inch of his body. His arms, his neck, his jaw, his lips, his chest and washboard abs... she loved the way he smelled, the way he tasted. He smelled of pine, moss, mud and motor oil. Very masculine. Very rugged. But, the way his skin tasted was better. The saltiness reminded her of the sea. The uncontrollable power of the sea. She reveled in the knowledge that she alone could tame the wild nature of the man in front of her. She calmed his stormy anger. She fueled his passion. She made the man blush. And, she had the power to make his wolf howl. It was intoxicating. He was intoxicating. Her own wolf paced in anticipation. ' _Mine. Ours. Imprint. Mate._ "

Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, Phyre lowered herself in front of him. She giggled as she watched his hands twitch and grip. Wanting to let go, yet trying to follow her orders. He really wanted to move. He wanted to take over. As she giggled, his erection twitched in his shorts.

"Please." He barely whispered. "Let me touch you." He watched her with an almost pained expression.

She shook her head. Her fingers grazed inside the elastic of his boxers, lowing the fabric just enough for her to use her teeth the nip at his hip bone. He jumped in response. No, that was way too much fun to let him up yet. Each inch exposed as she lowered the fabric brought more skin for her to tease with her mouth. Licks, sucks, nips... everywhere, but where he craved for it most. Once he was fully exposed, she pulled the boxers and the remaining puddle of coveralls from his feet and then licked her way back up his inner leg in one long, sensuous movement that dipped enough to slide between his most tender bits and along the full length of his shaft.

"Fuck!" He screamed.

His fists so tight on the bar that his knuckles were white. Phyre grinned. She was quite sure that the bar was the only thing keeping him up at that point. He had never let things move far enough for her to have touched him there yet. Always trying to be the gentleman who took things slow. But, Phyre was fucking tired of slow. Well, that kind of slow. The tortuous slow that was scrambling his mind at the moment, that was just too much fun.

Before Embry had a chance to regain his composure, Phyre took a breath and dove her mouth over his manhood to take him as deep as she possibly could. Her tongue wiggled as she held him as far in as possible. His hands let go of the bar and fisted themselves in her hair. She only managed to explore a few strokes before his entire body clenched up and she felt his warm fluids hit the back of her throat as he screamed out her name. For a moment, she was disappointed that he climaxed so quickly. But, that was quickly erased when she realized that he had meant what he had told her. He had touched no other girl since he met her. Weeks of no release from someone would send a guy over quickly. And, she hoped that the power of it all meant she had done a good job.

It took a while for Embry's muscles to relax enough that she could comfortably move back and lick at his body to clean every drop. He spasmed again with each caress of her mouth.

"Holy shit." He croaked out as he grabbed her arm to lift her up against him. Phyre barely got her feet under herself before he crushed her lips with a long, deep, sensual kiss. He didn't break the kiss as he leaned down to scoop her up into his arms and carry her toward the back of the truck. He chuckled as he saw that she got it all ready for them.

"Always my eager beaver." He spoke against her lips. "But, you didn't have to do that."

Phyre just pulled him closer so that she could kiss him back. "I always want you. I want it all. Please make love to me."

Embry groaned. "You know that I want to. But, we shouldn't. Sam and Paul will know. I won't be able to hide this. Everyone will see."

She smacked him on the chest. "I still have to hear and smell my brother going at it with his wife. We both see others memories. It is what it is. Embarrassing, but just part of life as wolves."

His face split into a hesitant smile. "You really want to do this?"

"Nothing like you rejecting me because of my brother to kill the mood." She halfheartedly pouted and crossed her arms so they covered her breasts.

He whimpered and nuzzled against her neck. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Can I make it up to you?" He asked as he nibbled in a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. Damn, he knew exactly where to touch to drive her wild. It didn't take long before her body responded to him once more and she was panting for him to continue.

Embry didn't hesitate to return the torture and drag out his caresses and nibbles all over her body. He avoided all of her major erotic zones, but teased at the areas he knew would make her squirm. He had explored a little since Halloween, not wanting to rush to far. But, he definitely had found the spots that made her weak in the knees. Phyre twisted and writhed under his explorations. She panted in lust. Yet, he would not give her what she wanted. Her eyes closed as her head spun, trying to regain some sense of stability.

That shattered when Embry slid his tongue along her moist sex. She screamed his name as she bucked and moaned. However, he did not let up. He continued to explore her body with his tongue as she reached climax after climax. His fingers held her hips in place as he sucked and caressed his way through wave after wave of her pleasure. When he pulled away, she collapsed as her high slowly drained away.

Embry chuckled as he crawled his way up her body, licking a wet trail up to her neck once again. "I've been looking forward to seeing you like that since the first night I met you."

Phyre looked up to his eyes. Her hair was a mess, her face mottled from her passion, eyes darkened with lust. He growled, a deep seductive growl of possessiveness. Her wolf answered in similar fashion as she fisted her hands in his soft, shaggy black hair and pulled him back to her lips. Their kiss was fierce and territorial. Their wolves each staking their claim on the other. Each fighting for dominance. In the end, they each surrendered to the other. Balanced. He pulled while she pushed, only to reverse and she pulled while he pushed. There was a natural syncopation as they gave into their imprint bonds and let their wolves take over.

There was no more talking. No more asking permission. They knew that they had full access to the other. Embry slid himself between her knees. Her hands reached between them to help guide him in one fluid movement until he was set, perfectly positioned at the entrance to her body. His hand dropped to run a thumb over her wet, sensitive nub as he slowly pressed himself forward. Phyre's back arched and she gasped for air as her body stretched to accommodate the penetration for the first time. But, he continued to give her pleasure which balanced the pain. She focused on breathing through the discomfort as he left her lips to suck at her neck.

Embry paused when he pressed against her inner barrier. "I'm sorry." He whispered against her skin before he pinched her most erotic nerve and swiftly drove himself completely into Phyre's body. She screamed at the intense pleasure of her climax mixed with the pain of her virginity being taken. Her body shook and clenched around Embry as he gasped at the feeling of her around him. Her wolf was howling.

"Oh fuck!" Phyre gasped once she could put a cohesive thought together.

Embry paused and looked down at her, panic all over his face. "Please tell me that I didn't hurt you too bad. Please Phyre." A tear escaped from his eye.

Phyre smiled up at him. "No. You are always perfect Embry Call. It was just really intense."

He dropped his head to ravish her mouth once again. "I never want to hurt you Phyrianna. Never."

"Then don't stop now." She giggled. Hooking her legs around his waist as he started to rock himself in and out of her body. Slowly at first and then gaining speed.

"You are seriously going to be the death of me woman. I don't think that I can live without you under me." He emphasized his need with a fast and deep thrust.

She gasped. "That is good because I am so fucking addicted."

He grinned and picked up the pace as he watched her face contort in pleasure. It didn't take long before he could feel her topple over into another orgasm, her body milking his until he fell over the cliff of his own orgasm. Their name's tumbled from each other's lips.

Embry pulled Phyre into his arms as she listened to his heart rate slow down. The soothing rhythm carried her closer to unconsciousness. "Please don't leave me Embry." She whispered.

"Never."


	14. Chapter 14

Phyre jerked awake. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Embry was quick to pull her closer and run a soothing hand down her back. "I've got you love. Your safe." Her breathing slowly returned to normal. "Do you want to talk about it?" He wiped her tears away with his thumb.

"Just a nightmare." She said. "Dad used to say that women were only ever good to get fucked and left behind. I guess I didn't realize I still had that fear." Her voice drifted off.

Embry lifted her chin. "I am not going anywhere. You hear me? Not just the imprint thing. Paul was right, it just clears away the human crap. But, you make me feel whole. Not the need to be near you. Just you. The way you smile. The way you make me laugh. The way you practically saunter your way into every fantasy that I have ever had, even before being a wolf." He tugged at a lock of her teal hair with a grin.

She smiled. "Why do you always make me feel better?"

"I do it on purpose... because I love to see you smile." He rubbed his nose against hers, then kissed her forehead. "But, if I don't get you home soon, Paul really will skin my ass."

Phyre jumped up. "Oh God! I forgot about Karen! I invited her to spend the night with me before your trip to Port Angeles and then ditched her." She whimpered. "I'm such a lousy friend."

Embry climbed out of the truck and chuckled. "Didn't you say you left her with Seth and he imprinted on her?"

"Yeah, but how long have I been gone?"

He looked at the clock at the back of the shop. "Well, you have been here for about an hour and a half. You only slept a few minutes."

Phyre dropped her head back to the blanket and took a deep breath. "Thank you. I thought it was like 6:00 in the morning or something."

The grin that tugged at his lips finally got her to smile again. "Let's get you home."

"How about ten more minutes to be alone and sweaty with you?"

He laughed. "You are wickedly perfect."

* * *

Embry borrowed one of the cars from the shop to take Phyre home. They could have walked and would have if she didn't leave company unattended at the house.

They walked in just in time to hear Karen upstairs screaming out Seth's name. Phyre's hands flew over her mouth to hold back an audible reaction.

After a few minutes when it was safe to assume that the couple upstairs were finished, Phyre called out. "Seth, you had better change my sheets!" The squeaks of embarrassment sent Phyre and Embry into fits of laughter. "And, make sure you hurry up to get showers so that I can get mine!"

Karen's voice drifted down. "When did you get back?"

"Just in time to hear the grand finale."

"Shit!" Seth exclaimed. "What is it with you Embry that you show up at the wrong times?"

Bad choice of words. Karen jumped on him for that. "I forgot you were the one making out with Phyre when she met Embry! Ugh, that makes it all worse. It's like incest or something."

"Karen, don't you dare question anything about that. We are happy for you both. Now get cleaned up. I really want a shower before Paul gets home and kills Embry."

Seth broke into a round of his own laughter. "It's about time you two!"

"Shut it Clearwater!" Embry yelled, though he smiled at Phyre.

Karen and Seth agreed to share the shower. Supposedly to save water and time. Yeah, right. Then, Phyre sent Embry in real fast because she knew that if Paul got home while she was in the shower, it wouldn't be all that strange. But, her and Embry together... yeah, not the smartest idea yet. Gotta give the man a chance to get used to the idea of his sister having sex first.

As she climbed into the shower, she heard Embry in her room. "So, Jax... I hope you know how much your sister loves you and misses you." Phyre bit on her knuckle. "I am sorry that you and I never had a chance to meet. You sound like a really good kid. And, I would assume that you wanted your sister to be happy." He took a deep breath. "I, honestly, might screw up sometimes. But, I promise you, I love her. With all of my heart. And, I will do everything in my power to protect her and make her happy for as long as we live. I just thought that you would like to know that. Man to man."

Tears were lost in the water of the shower. But, in that moment, Embry Call had more than stolen her heart. He helped her heal some of it. To heal some of her guilt. She had felt guilty moving forward with her life while Jax was left to the past. Yet, Embry embraced her memory of him, her love of him, and loved her through it all.

The water ran cold by the time she collected herself once again.

Phyre had to refocus her thoughts as she heard Paul's truck park outside, just as she finished her shower. She quickly looked in the mirror to see if there were any marks left that would be visible. Embry had really left a lot of love marks on her, but being a wolf, she healed fast. Just a couple around her neck which were common. All others covered by her pajamas. Perfect.

"Hey, welcome home." Phyre smiled at Anna as she walked down the stairs to Anna opening the door. "How is the tire?" The others sat in the living room awkwardly chatting.

Anna grinned and winked at Phyre. "Embry, you might want to run."

"Shit!" He took off out the back door.

Phyre started to follow, but Seth cut her off. "Let them sort this out." Then she heard a whimper as if someone kicked a dog. Only she knew it was Embry. She could feel that he was hurt. "It's a guy thing Phyre, you have to let it happen." Her chest was tight as she felt him in pain. It was hard to breath.

"He is my imprint Seth! Not to be hurt remember!" But, eventually, she regained some control. Paul hadn't hurt him badly again. Perhaps someone had reminded him of that same point.

She spun on Anna who had managed to sneak up stairs to put Rory to bed quickly and was then headed back down stairs. "How?"

"Paul had to help me with a flat tire, remember?"

Phyre's face screwed up. "Fuck, he took it to the shop?"

Anna nodded and hugged the girl. "He was on the phone with me when he pulled up. Not pretty. I just hope it was everything you wanted it to be." Phyre blushed fiercely red. Then, she heard Karen giggle.

"Oh Karen... don't think that you are making it out of this unscathed." Phyre growled playfully. Anna arched a brow. "Oh yeah. Karen and Seth. In my bed!"

"Phyre!" Seth and Karen both yelled.

Anna broke into all out laughter. "Wait. Did you?" She looked at Seth. He blushed and dropped his head. "Seriously? Oh, damn. I have to call Leah!"

Seth dropped to his knees. "Please, please, please don't do that yet. Please Anna. I will do anything."

"Ahh, who is Leah?" Karen asked quietly.

Phyre answered for Seth. "Seth's sister. Who will kick his ass just as badly as Paul is doing with Embry." Though her chest wasn't as tight. So, she was sure Embry was alright.

"Why? Am I an embarrassment?" She was starting to get angry.

Seth looked like someone just ran over his dog. "No! No embarrassment. I really want to show the whole world how beautiful you are. It's just my sister has this hang up. It's hard to explain."

"Well, I am here all night." Karen crossed her arms. Phyre bit down on her knuckles. Seth quickly looked to the other women for help.

Anna shook her head and went to the kitchen. "This is all you lover boy."

Phyre felt bad for him. But, mostly, she wanted to protect her friend and chances were that Seth would screw everything up. "How much do you want to talk about tonight?"

Seth dropped his head. "You know her best. All of it?"

Karen looked between them. "What am I missing?"

Phyre pulled out a wide smile. "Come here sexy. You are in for a wild ride." She took Karen's hand and led her to the back yard. "Seth get her a blanket."

"Don't you need one?" Karen asked.

"Nope."

The two girls sat on the steps leading from the back door as Seth handed Karen a blanket and walked out into the grass. Phyre wrapped an arm around her friend. She hoped that her friendship with her, as well as Collin and Brady, would help to ease the blow.

Seth started. "So, uh, well... the legends... yeah, the legends. Do you know the Quileute legends?"

"You mean about the third wife and the cold ones and stuff?" Karen asked.

Seth looked hopeful. "Yeah. Those ones. Do you remember the parts about the protectors?"

Karen raised a brow. "Men who merged with the spirits of wolves?"

"Yeah. Oh wow, this is hard..."

Phyre decided to lighten the mood. "No Seth, you were hard 30 minutes ago." That got Karen to blush and smack at Phyre, chuckling about the memory that was obviously much better than her past experience. Seth groaned, but smirked as he blushed.

Phyre leaned over. "The point is that he is fricken adorable when he blushes. Remember that shy bashfulness."

Seth smiled at Phyre. "Yeah. Remember that I am me. You don't know me well yet, but I am still me. Please."

Karen was confused. "Why would I forget you?"

"It's not a question of you forgetting me, I just don't want you to be scared." He said. Then he backed up further away from the girls. He took off his shirt and then started to take off his shorts.

"Seth! I don't think you need to give a show to Phyre." She exclaimed.

He looked at her apologetically. Then dropped his shorts and phased into a very large light brown wolf.

Karen gaped. "Oh. My. God." Phyre held her tighter to make sure she did not run. But, Karen didn't even attempt to move. Her eyes were wide as they roved over Seth in his wolf form. Her breathing had become heavier as she fought back the panic. "Please tell me you think like a human and your not going to try to eat me." She squeaked.

Phyre smiled. "Yes, we still keep our human minds in wolf form."

That snapped Karen's attention. "We?"

"Everyone in the so-called La Push gang. We are the descendants of the first protectors. And, we turn wolf when the cold ones return to the area." Phyre explained.

"So, Collin and Brady, Embry, Paul... all of them?"

Phyre smiled again. "Yes. But, we keep this a very guarded secret."

Karen nodded quickly. "Yeah, of course. Don't need the X-files or something showing up on the rez." She looked back at Seth intently. He lowered himself to the ground and placed his head on his paws. She tentatively held out her hand and he inched closer. Her face softened and he inched closer still. Then she smiled as his nose touched her hand. She gasped as she felt his fur in her fingers. "My God, you are beautiful." She stepped down the stairs to get closer to Seth. He gently nuzzled into her. Then something shifted. She looked up at Phyre. "But, why are you telling me? Am I going to become a wolf?"

This part was for Seth to talk about. So, Phyre extended a hand to her friend to pull her back to the steps. "No. You won't turn wolf. But, Seth has some explaining to do." Seth quickly phased back to human and put his clothes back on.

"Oh for heaven's sake. Will you all stop lurking in the trees. You already know she knows. And, she had taken it really damn well. Stay wolf if you want. But, come on out and say hi." Phyre scolded.

A large black wolf stepped forward from the trees. "How did you know?" Karen leaned over to ask.

"Wolves have really good hearing and sense of smell. Even in our human forms." Seth answered. "And, while we are in wolf form, we kind of share one mind. Our own individual thoughts, but they float together. So, we see what the others see, feel their emotions, see the memories and thoughts that they think. So, everyone that was wolf saw that I turned wolf in front of you and heard Phyre explain it. Fortunately, Leah was not wolf yet." He shuddered.

"And, who is that?" Karen looked at the black wolf.

"Sam Uley."

Karen leaned over closer. "What does that man do for a living? It seems like he never works." The wolf snorted and shook his head. Karen's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry." She squeaked.

Phyre smiled and leaned over. "He has an online business. So, he can work his own schedule between wrangling the pack."

Two other wolves walked up to the house as they talked. The silver one was more determined, the grey one was more hesitant and limped. Phyre ran down to hug Embry. "Are you alright?"

Paul phased closer to the house so he could walk in quickly. "Only thing that saved his life is that he treated you well."

Phyre spun on him. "Really? That was all. How about the fact that he is my imprint! You forget that don't you! I'm protected as his imprint. Damn, it, he should be protected as mine. And, what in the hell is it with men getting all pissy over their sisters having sex? You have only known me for how long now?"

"That's not the point." Paul growled as he found shorts in the laundry room just off of the back door.

"Then what is the point? Because all I see is stupid male dominance and possessiveness. I am not your property to get pissed off that I was taken away. Your sure as hell not my father to worry over my honor. And, you are not my man. Embry is. So, what in the hell is your problem?"

Paul growled deeper. "You are my sister!"

"And...?"

He turned and stormed away.

Phyre dropped to her knees to buried her arms around Embry's neck. "I am so sorry."

Embry shifted to wrap his arms around Phyre. "Wasn't as bad as I expected. And, you are worth every second of it." He kissed her.

By the time Phyre opened her eyes again, Sam was gone. "Here, let me help you get inside." Embry limped and had lots of bruises. But, over all, no broken bones.

Once inside, Karen, Seth, Embry, Anna, and Phyre all talked about the world of wolves. Seth stumbled along trying to explain imprinting. Paul only joined once Anna went out to check on him with the punching bags. Though, the flush on her cheeks and smile on her face said he was punching into her instead of hitting those bags. Phyre rolled her eyes. Hypocrite.

Eventually, everyone settled in to sleep for the night. Anna pulled out the hideaway bed for Seth and Karen to cuddle up together, with a reminder that all of the wolves would hear if they did much. And, Paul begrudgingly relented when Phyre asked Embry to stay with her.

She curled up with her head on Embry's chest, listening to his heart beat. Before she knew it, she was drifting off to memories of her perfect man and the wonderful things they did that day.


	15. Chapter 15

"Seth!" Leah Clearwater's voice rang through the house. As she barged right in to find her brother sleeping in the living room with Karen. "What in the hell? I had to hear about this when I went on patrol this morning and you were not there!"

Phyre groaned as she heard Leah smack Seth. "Leah, we were sleeping." She said as she nuzzled into Embry more, trying to go back to sleep. It had been a late night.

He rolled to face her and ran a finger over her face to sweep loose strands of hair out of the way. "Good morning sexy." He kissed her gently. Phyre smiled back at him. She could get used to waking up like that.

"Enough!" Karen screamed. "Why in the hell are you hitting him?" Oh shit. Karen just yelled at Leah. Phyre and Embry jumped up to run down to protect the girl.

"None of your business little girl." Leah growled.

But, Karen did not back down. "I am his imprint, so it is my business."

Phyre watched Leah's jaw drop. "You know already?"

"We all told her, last night." Phyre yawned. "She took it all really well. Turns out that Karen and Seth had huge crushes on each other when they were children, until Karen went to Forks High." She moved into the kitchen to start making coffee.

Leah tilted her head. "Your Karen Beckett?" Karen blushed. Obviously the statement of Seth having a crush as a child was not over stated for Leah to remember her name. Seth was a few years older, so Karen had assumed the crush only went one way from her to him. But, even when she was dating Eli, if she saw Seth, she would get all gooshy and melt. Seth couldn't believe the years they could have had together if they would have just approached one another. More than that, he couldn't believe that he had never looked her in the eye after he turned wolf. Granted, he rarely saw her anywhere, but they both lived on the reservation. They did walk past each other from time to time. And, he said that he always drooled over her. How had they not locked eyes before? Seriously?

"Yeah."

Leah growled. "But, you were supposed to be my partner." She threw an accusatory glare at Seth.

"I'm sorry Lee Lee. You know that I can't control the imprinting. And, honestly, I am not sorry about imprinting. Just the part about you. I know how angry you are about imprinting and stuff. But, please be happy for me. Please."

Her shoulders dropped. "Fine. Whatever."

Phyre sighed as she heard Rory babbling to herself. "Great, you woke the baby."

"Bitch, look at the time. We are supposed to be leaving in 30 min if we are going to get to class." Leah scoffed.

Phyre stuck her tongue out at the woman. Leah was cranky, but the two had found their footing. Leah had helped Phyre learn a lot about being a female wolf. It was disappointing to learn that Phyre wouldn't have her menstrual cycle while wolf, which meant that her body could not conceive children. But, she took it well. While growing up with Thomas, Phyre never wanted to have kids anyway. She had only allowed her self to even contemplate a family once she imprinted on Embry. So, it wasn't something she had to grieve over, yet she was still a little disappointed. Surprisingly, Embry took that part a little bit harder... such a softy. But, it all made sense. There was no telling what phasing would do to a baby.

However, Phyre understood Leah's pain. It wasn't just the loss of the man she loved, or her cousin that she had been close to, but the loss of all of her dreams. She and Sam had planned to move away, get married and start a family. None of it was an option for her anymore. Sam imprinting on Emily took half of that away. Leah becoming a wolf took the rest. That grief was something Phyre could still relate to.

Phyre climbed upstairs to get Rory up and changed, only to find Paul in there already. He really was a cute daddy. Rory's smile was bright as she reached for the man who smiled back down at her. "Come on jelly bean. Let's get you cleaned up. I could smell that diaper from a mile away." He kissed at her neck making her laugh and smack at his face. Then, he cradled her to his chest as he walked across the hall to the bathroom. Phyre assumed the munchkin was going to get a bath as he turned on the tub water and she could hear him set down the baby tub inside. She started to turn to go back down stairs, but was stopped by Paul's voice.

"Phyre. I won't apologize for last night. I don't expect you to understand. But, it won't happen again unless he hurts you. Then it will be a hundred times worse. Your imprint or not." She walked into the bathroom and hugged her brother from behind. He twisted to place a kiss on top of her head.

Rory babbled and managed to work on her 'da' sounds. "Come on jelly bean. Say da-da. Make your mommy jealous." He tried to coax.

"That is so no right." Phyre giggled.

Paul smiled. "It's gonna happen any day now. First words. First steps. All that. She is a smart kid like her mommy." He kissed her before he set her into the tub. The baby quickly splashed him.

"Yup. Very smart. Good girl Rory." Phyre laughed.

Everyone quickly got ready. The girls loaded into Leah's car since Anna's hadn't been fixed yet, forgotten in the chaos of the night before. The boys were left to fend for themselves for the day and Paul had Rory in tow.

* * *

Karen sighed as they pulled away. She hated leaving Seth. Not that Phyre was any happier about leaving Embry, she was just quieter about it. Her wolf paced in anxiety every time they went to Saturday classes. Still, she liked the physical release of the martial arts. She learned new things that she could practice at home. Paul and Anna were right when they said it would be good for her, to help process her emotions and grief. So, she went. Without Embry. Damn it.

"Oh no. You don't get to pine away quietly. Spill it Karen." Phyre poked at her.

Karen blushed. "But, Leah is here. I can't talk about her brother like that."

Leah scoffed. "Trust me. I will see all of his memories later anyway. In graphic detail."

Karen gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh God!" Her eyes went wide. "That is just mortifying."

Phyre laughed. "We all get used to it. They know all about my memories and Embry's so I am doubly screwed."

Anna nodded. "It is awkward. But, there are a few very strict rules about being wolves. First and foremost is that an imprint is sacred. No one in the pack will hurt you. They will all fight to protect you. And, that includes not trying to embarrass you by talking about what they saw in the pack mind. They might tease the hell out of Seth, but you are safe from it."

"But, Embry is Phyre's imprint, right? And, Paul beat on him." Phyre growled at the memory.

Leah piped up. "That is because both Phyre and Embry are wolves. It makes things more complicated. Your not a wolf, so less complicated. You are protected."

"So, if I talk to Phyre or Leah about things, then Seth will see what I said." She groaned. "Just all too embarrassing."

"It's not like we have to think of everything when we are wolf. We can keep secrets." Phyre explained. "So, stop stalling and spill it. I mean, I knew he imprinted, but shit it only took you two a couple of hours before you were screaming out his name and he was showing you his furry side."

Karen was bright red and covered her face with her hands. But, Phyre wouldn't let up. She was happy for her friend.

"God, I don't know. It was just so intense. And, he was so damn cute and sweet, and wonderful. We turned on a movie and the next thing I know we were cuddled up together kissing. And, we tried to move apart and take it a little slower, but then he asked about the Halloween party. He said that Collin and Brady told him what happened. And, he looked honestly angry at Eli for everything. I didn't understand why at the time, but I just couldn't hide anything from him. So, I told him the whole story of how Eli hurt me. And, he was so apologetic and talked like Brady about how a real man doesn't do that shit and takes care of his woman. And, just the idea of him treating me right had me so turned on... that.. well... you know."

The girls all giggled. "Yeah, we know."

"But, the question is, did he treat you right?" Phyre asked as she hugged her friend in the backseat of the car.

Karen blushed even more. "I can honestly say, I will never think of Eli again. Seth was amazing."

"Good."

Karen twisted. "And what about you Miss Nosey?"

Phyre smiled and blushed. "Amazing is not even close enough to describe Embry." She flushed with pride for her man. The only complaint that she had for their first time together was that they couldn't do more.

* * *

The day went by quickly as the women all bonded over kickboxing, shopping, and lunch. Karate was scheduled later in the afternoon before they drove back. They laughed and teased. Even Leah lightened up with Karen.

"Karen, you do realize that if you are serious about accepting my brother, that eventually, you will become my sister-in-law. Right?" Leah said as they ate lunch.

The look on Karen's face was a mix of pure ecstasy and pure terror. "But, I am still in high school." She whispered.

Leah rolled her eyes. "I said eventually. Geez."

Karen smiled. "I seriously can't believe this is happening. Seth Clearwater. The cutest and sweetest man ever, imprinted on me and might ask me to marry him? I died right?"

"Wow Leah, way to push things along there. Can you give them a full 24 hours together before you start planning their wedding?" Anna scolded.

"You weren't complaining when I gave Paul a few nudges." She defended. "And, it's not like I am taking her shopping for a wedding dress yet."

"First, I didn't know about your nudges until after the fact. Second, Paul and I had a much longer intro to our relationship. And third, ah, her mom might want to be the one to take her dress shopping."

Leah stood up. "Alright, I will back off. I was just kind of getting excited for a moment."

Karen got up and tackled Leah in a hug, full of giggles. "Thank you."

Leah chuckled. "Yeah, you are going to be good for Seth. The same over the top persistent cuteness. You had better be good to him. Got it?" Leah hugged her back as Karen nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

"And, here you were worried about how the girls were doing without us." Embry said to Seth as they walked up. "Looks like everything is fine. I suppose we should leave then." He chuckled at Seth who grinned like a fool as he watched his imprint and his sister bond.

"Don't you dare leave!" Phyre jumped on his back. "All this gooshiness... I missed you." She pouted.

Karen squealed as she ran into Seth's arms and the two started kissing. "Jesus. They are going to be like Kim and Jared. All bubble gum and rainbows." Leah groaned.

"What about the garage?" Anna asked.

Embry laughed. "Paul's there. Lucy is working today in the office, so, she is watching Rory while Paul works. Just small stuff. Diagnostics and things like that so he can spend more time with the baby. And, Jake has the bigger stuff under control. My engine that I am working on needs a few parts that I needed to pick up here in Port Angeles. And, Seth was driving everyone crazy so, I was volun-told to take Seth with me to give them some sanity."

Seth blushed. But, he buried his face in Karen's neck quickly to hide it. Karen did not appear to mind. She had been pining for him all morning as well.

The boys joined them for food and shopping. They wandered as a group, but split into smaller groups once they got anywhere.

Anna and Leah needed a break from the sugary sweetness of the new loves, so they went off in search of a birthday present for Abbie. Anna gave birth to Abbie when she was 18 with everything in place for the baby girl to be adopted. The adoptive parents made efforts over the prior couple of years to include Anna and Paul in Abbie's life. So, they became like an aunt and uncle to Abbie and her adoptive brother Jayden. It had been Jayden's birthday when Phyre arrived. But, Abbie's birthday was that following week. So, another trip to Redmond was planned.

Seth and Karen would quickly find some corner of the store they walked into and spend the whole time giggling and getting to know one another.

Phyre and Embry would actually walk around and look at things, teasing and laughing as they went. There were a few stolen moments of kissing. But, they quickly realized that they wanted more and it was not the time or place for such things.

Phyre grinned when she realized that as head over heals as she felt around Embry, it wasn't all physical. Yeah, she really wanted to throw him to the ground and ride him until they were both passed out. However, that was not all it was. She truly enjoyed just being with him. And, he seemed to enjoy the same. It wasn't just filler time, getting to know her so she would be comfortable to have sex. They did have sex and he was still there. Finding all sorts of goofy stuff to make her laugh. In one store, he found a pop out rubber spider that made her scream. He was rolling in laughter. She smacked his chest and then laughed too. In another, he wandered around the store with a 'sorting hat' on his head, from Harry Potter.

His words floated through her head. The words that she heard him say to her brother, Jax. He said that he loved her. With all of his heart. He hadn't said it to her yet. And, she hadn't said it to him. She didn't want it to be said just because they had sex, so she didn't say it the night before. She wanted him to really understand how she felt. More than just sex.

"Bree?"

"Yes love."

She looked at him askance. "Why do you call me that?"

His brows were stitched together in confusion. "Love?"

She nodded. "You called me that the first night we met. Before you even knew my name."

Embry's face softened. He could see where she was going. "Phyrianna, you are my imprint. I will always love you. Even when I didn't know you." He pulled her closer. "But, now that I do know you. I am falling _**in love**_ with you."

She smiled up at him. She understood what he was saying. There is a difference between loving someone and being in love. It was the difference that Paul and Anna talked about when they were friends who loved each other and the growth of their love over time until they were in love. It was the difference between how she wanted to be near Embry and protect him, and how she felt standing there, wanting to see him smile and laugh with her and share her life with her. She had fallen too.

"I am _**in love**_ with you too."

His lips captured hers once again. She could never get enough of his lips.

"Oh God." They heard a female voice mutter. "Let's leave."

Phyre and Embry pulled apart to see the blonde waitress from their first date, surrounded by her friends. Phyres blood was ready to boil over. Embry squeezed her tighter.

Some girl with auburn hair looked Embry up and down. "Why do we have to leave? There is plenty of eye candy here."

Embry growled. But, the waitress beat him to it. "Remember how I got fired?" Then she jerked her chin toward Phyre and Embry. Phyre kind of felt bad. The girl shouldn't suffer too much for it. But, then again... she wasn't doing her job with all of the insults and flirting.

The other girls eyes went wide. "But, I thought you said he only did hook ups? That doesn't look like a hook up." The blonde was pulling her friend out of the store.

"Uh, what was that?" Leah asked.

"First date flash back." Phyre groaned. "I seriously can't take him anywhere."

Embry lifted her chin to look at him. "But, you remained calm. Monumental improvements." He pecked her lips.

Anna sighed. "I wish I could say that it all goes away, but it doesn't. I still have girls try to hit on Paul sometimes, even with wedding rings and a daughter. Try to not let it bother you unless he is stupid enough to flirt back with them."

"That's easy for you to say. Your not a wolf." Leah scoffed. "Wolf anger issues complicate it. Plus the territorial nature and possessiveness... I am sorry Phyre. It will be tough. Try to follow Anna's advice. Then, come hit the bags with me afterwards." She winked. "And, with that, we have a class to get to."

* * *

By the time everyone made it back into La Push, Emily had arranged a full pack dinner for everyone to welcome Karen.

"You know that eventually here, you are going to have to meet my parents." Karen laughed at the look of panic on Seth's face as he walked her up to Sam and Emily's house. Collin and Brady ran out the door to scoop her up into hugs. Seth growled halfheartedly. He knew they were all friends and that they had protected her reputation at the Halloween party. But, still, every wolf gets jealous.

"They are cute." Embry whispered in Phyre's ear. "But, we already know them. And, I have a surprise for you."

The two ducked into the woods where they left their clothes behind before they phased to wolf. Embry lead her off into trees until they came to a beautiful pond filled with floating candles. A large blanket laid out next to it with more pillows and blankets on top.

"Bree." Phyre breathed. It was amazing. "You did this?"

He phased to human and held out his hand for her. She quickly phased as well.

"I wouldn't change anything about what happened last night. It was right for us. But, still, I wanted a chance to be the one making the plans, to give you something more romantic than the garage."

"When did you have time?"

He smiled. "You had a Karate class remember? Seth and I already got the parts needed. So, we got back with a little time to spare."

Tears filled her eyes as she saw the love written on his face. Phyre couldn't believe she imprinted on such an incredible man.

They spent hours curled up in each others arms, kissing, making love, cuddling, and then finding the drive to do more, again and again.

* * *

Water hit her face as it started to sprinkle. Phyre woke to realize that she had fallen asleep with Embry out in the woods. It had been such a perfect night. But, the rain was picking up.

"Bree. Emmmmmbry."

"Hmmm."

"It's raining on us."

He pulled her closer to him. "I don't care about a little water." Just then, the rain picked up more. He slowly opened his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Let's get you home and dry. I will come back for our stuff and the clothes we left outside of Sam's later."

They both phased and ran back to her home. They didn't even bother with clothes as it was such a late hour, they were sure that Anna was in bed. And, Paul saw them naked all the time anyway. Embry pulled her into the shower to wash away the mud and grass before the made a mess in the house. The warm water and Embry's hands flooded Phyre with heat. He chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her again. Her hand snaked out to caress his swollen anatomy. They both moaned.

"Cut it out you two." They could hear Paul say in the other room. Phyre blushed and Embry grinned.

He leaned his forehead to hers. "We need sleep." Then he carried her to bed, where they cuddled together, still naked. And sleep took them once again.


	16. Chapter 16

Christmas rolled up quickly as Phyre found herself floating in bliss with Embry.

It had been hard for her to focus at school when all she wanted to do was ditch to spend more time with him. However, she knew she had to work on her grades and try to get those scholarships. She had already filled out college and scholarship applications. Yet, she didn't need to screw it all up at the last minute. Plus, she had followed Embry's advice and taken a few kids under her wing, those who were more isolated for whatever reason and more of a target for bullying. They were in different grades and mostly introverts who didn't trust friendships yet. She completely understood. It had been difficult to really trust the pack and the relationships she had been building as friends and family. Trusting it all was still something she struggled with. But, slowly, they were making connections with each other, just as she had been. She had even witnessed one of the sophomore kids help another kid stand up for themselves. So, if anything, even more than the scholarships, she would continue going to school to be there for her little pack of misfits.

Plus, Embry did need to have time to work. She was already eating into his work time and she felt guilty. He needed to focus on work and getting paid. Normally, Embry would run patrols with Sam in the mornings when most everyone else was at school or starting work, except for the few that worked the really early morning patrols, and they were sleeping. Then, Embry would go into the shop around noon and work until dinner, maybe later. And, he still had his school work. With Phyre around, he always took the time to pick her up from school. They would go to his shop while he worked more and she finished her homework, then they would leave for dinner and do whatever after that. With a few exceptions of course, like study groups with Karen, Collin and Brady. And, Phyre would usually patrol with Collin and Brady later in the evening. It was a comfortable routine. Yet, Phyre knew that he worked less than he otherwise would. He tried to sooth her worry by reminding her that he worked all day on Saturday too, while she was in Port Angeles. Still, she worried she was taking too much.

She just wished she could find a way to fit more time into the day. He needed more time to work. She would love to get a part time job to help with things. But, she wasn't ready to sacrifice her limited time with him to accomplish those things. Grrrr.

She shook her thoughts loose as she walked across the street to the Quileute Oceanside Resort. Jared's wife Kim worked there in reception. Leah worked there as well, though hospitality and Leah don't really belong in the same sentence. No, she had gotten her massage license and was the in-house masseuse. Put her strength to good use. And, for the most part, she didn't really have to talk to people, just quietly work out their muscles. Win, win. And, since it was a holiday, the resort was a bit more busy than typical that time of year.

Phyre walked in the front doors and found Kim. She was busy explaining some of the rules and laws around the reservation to a family visiting from Seattle.

Once the family headed out to find their cabin, Kim ran over to give her a hug. "Thank you so much for coming to pick this all up." The woman led Phyre to an office area. "I just won't be off work in time to get it all over to Emily's and get it warmed up before dinner."

"Don't worry about it. I am more than happy to help. Embry will be here in a minute with a vehicle and then we will drop it all off at Em's... holy crap girl! How much did you make?" Phyre laughed as Kim pulled out boxes filled with chaffing trays full of food.

Kim glared at her. "Really? You know this pack. You could eat two of these yourself." Phyre smirked. Yeah, she probably could. Kim and Emily split up the majority of the menu for Christmas. Emily made the turkey, ham, steaks, and pies. Kim made the side dishes. Phyre felt bad that she didn't help, but they wouldn't let her. So, she and Anna had spent the days prior doing some cooking of their own... huge bags of home made popcorn drizzled in caramel and/or chocolate, tossed with nuts. Everyone got a bag as a gift.

"Alright, I know where it all is. Go back to work. Once Bree shows up, we will take it from there." She smiled at Kim.

About ten minutes later, Embry pulled up in Paul's truck. Phyre showed him the way and the two of them got to work loading up all of the food. However, just as they finished closing the tailgate, Phyre heard a voice that sent ice through her veins.

"Well, look who it is? What cat dragged you out of the gutter Phyre?" Phyre turned around to see A.J. Kissek. Her grief hit her hard.

"Leave me alone." She growled dangerously.

He arched a brow and smirked. "Aw, the little kitten thinks she is a tiger."

Embry stepped between them. "Do what she said and leave."

A.J. looked Embry over. He knew Embry was bigger. But, A.J. was just that kind of asshole who didn't care. He thought everyone bowed down to him. "I see you finally moved up a little in the world without that little queer holding you back."

That was the last straw. Embry grabbed Phyre by the waist and pinned her to the truck. It was too public. There was no way to hide. He could not let her phase there. He kissed her with everything he had. Her emotions fought with themselves. She was in full fury. She knew what he was doing and why, but she was angry at Embry for holding her back. Yet, despite how much she wanted to fucking kill that asshole, Embry still edged her away from phasing. Still angry, but more controlled. She clung to him for that control.

"Oh shit. You have got to be fucking kidding me." A.J. lashed out. "What a hypocrite."

Embry slowly pulled away. "You good?" She could only nod slightly. Once he was sure she would not phase, he turned to deck A.J. in the jaw.

"Fucking hell, you asshole!" The boy screamed.

"What seems to be the problem?" Sheriff Call happened to walk up, just as A.J.'s parents walked out of the resort lobby.

A.J. seethed in his anger. He wanted to fight back, but with his parents and a man in uniform there, he held back to point an accusing finger at Embry and Phyre. "That shit just punched me for no reason."

The Sheriff crossed his arms and glared at them all.

Phyre was still furious. But, she would not let Embry take the blame. "Sheriff..." But, the man cut her off.

"See, the problem I have with this situation is that I witnessed the whole damn thing." He stated.

A.J. paled. "Now, I don't know what is going on. But, no one has the right to hit my son." His mother spoke up.

The Sheriff raised a brow. "You are not in the United States any more. This is reservation land. We are a sovereign entity with our own laws, police, and Tribal Council. So, please be mindful of our culture and laws. That being said..." He looked at Embry. "I think apologies are in order." A.J. smirked until the Sheriff turned to stare at him.

"What me? He is the one who hit me!" The boy whined.

"You were hit because you knowingly insulted his future wife."

A.J. looked between Phyre and Embry like they had just turned purple and sprouted wings. "She can't get married, she is only 17."

Sheriff Call rolled his eyes. "Future does imply not now."

"What did you do?" A.J.'s father asked him gruffly.

The boys eyes went wide. "Nothing."

Phyre couldn't stand it any more. "Nothing? Nothing? You ass! You bullied my little brother because I wouldn't go out with you. How could I ever agree to date a guy like you? A guy who tried to force himself on me and was only stopped when my brother showed up. You couldn't fight both of us off. So, after that, you took all of your frustration out on him. Told the whole school that he was gay, so they all joined in on his torment. You and your cronies pushed him so hard that he killed himself. I found him! Then my dad broke down and shot himself in front of me. Because of you and your friends. Never leaving him alone. Always there to push him down, and degrade him. For what? Because I fought you off when you wouldn't take no for an answer? Then you show up here and had the nerve to rub my face in that loss?" She was trembling but her voice was tight and controlled.

"Shut up! You bitch!" A.J. roared. Phyre ignored him.

A.J.'s mother covered her mouth with her hands as Phyre spoke. Phyre recognized the shock. "What did he tell you about his broken nose? That it was a football accident or something?" She scoffed. "No. That was from my elbow, the day he tried to pin me down against my will. And, the fucking school covered it up for their star football player."

"Oh God, you poor girl." The woman muttered.

At the realization that his parents knew everything and believed what Phyre said, A.J.'s anger spiked. He started to move toward her, only to be cut off by his own father and the Sheriff.

"Embry, take her to Sam's." Sheriff Call turned to kiss her forehead. "Calm down sweetheart. We'll sort this out."

Embry quickly got her into the truck and took off. He was shaking he was so angry, knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. Phyre didn't know what to do. She knew he was angry in defense of her. But, was he angry **_at_** her as well? He hadn't said one word to her since he heard what A.J. did. If she could just calm down, she could try to calm him, to fix it. But, she just couldn't calm herself. As soon as he could find a place to pull of near the trees, he stopped the truck. "God, I want to kill him." He muttered. "He won't hurt you again. I promise. I won't let him near you."

Minutes ticked by as they both tried to calm down. It wasn't really working. The fact that Embry was so angry, just upset her more. She didn't want him to be upset like that. Her wolf was whining to calm him down. And, at the same time, seeing her so upset, just pissed him off more. The whole two wolves imprinted on each other sure did complicated things. Both fighting the animal instincts to just go back and kill A.J., both fighting desperately to calm each other but losing in the hurricane of their own emotions. Eventually, Embry opened the door.

"He won't touch you again." He snarled. Phyre watched in horror as Embry phased and ran off in wolf form toward the resort. No! He couldn't.

She quickly phased and took off after him. That was the push she needed to get past herself and focus only on him. "Embry! Don't! Please Embry, you can't go after a human!" She screamed through the pack mind.

"What in the hell?" Quil and Jake replied.

"Embry stop!" Sam ordered. Embry froze at the alpha command. But, he fought it. Hard.

However, it gave Phyre a chance to catch up to him and tackle him to the cold, wet ground. "Bree, please, look at me. I need you."

Embry was so lost in his rage and blood lust, that he refused to look at her.

She howled in the pain that it caused. "Please Embry. Please don't reject me now. I need you. Be angry at me for being weak. That is fine. I will hurt, but you will be safe. But, you can't go to the resort like this, in public. They will shoot you. I can't lose you to prison or worse over someone like A.J. Please choose to stay with me instead of throwing your life away because of my past."

Embry turned and snapped at her. He fought her off and pushed her away. Phyre was so stunned, so hurt, that she didn't even put up a fight. He had never pushed her away before. Her heart was shattering into a thousand pieces.

Quil and Jake had caught up to the two. "Embry! What in the hell man? Are you seriously going to reject your imprint over an asshole?"

Embry snarled and snapped at his friends. No thoughts, just rage. He was completely feral.

Phyre collapsed from the pain of his rejection. Her breathing was labored as the world spun. "I can't live without you." She whispered.

She felt so lost. So hurt by the past. So scared of the future if Embry were to leave. Her fears of abandonment raced to the front of her emotions. Fear that Embry would leave her because she wasn't strong enough. She was never strong enough. She couldn't stop A.J. on her own, Jax had saved her. She couldn't face it all on her own, she needed Embry. She was a wolf, she was supposed to be strong. But, she crumbled in her grief and fears. Why would anyone want her?

She felt his cold nose press against her. "I'm not leaving you Phyre. I am never leaving you." He laid himself next to her and wrapped his neck over hers. "Why didn't you tell me about him?" Something in the moment had finally reached him. She had been too lost to see it.

Phyre whimpered. "I never wanted to think of him again. He tried to rape me. He tortured my brother. He ruined my life. How could I want to think about him let alone talk about him?"

"God Phyre, I just can't stand the thought that he tried... that he could ever hurt you again."

"He won't." She insisted. "As long as I have you to protect me, he won't."

Jake and Quil moved over to lay down with both of them. Everyone understood Embry's anger and desire to punish the boy that tried to rape his imprint and cause her so much hardship. But, Phyre was right, if he had gone after A.J., they would have all lost him. It was too close of a loss for anyone to even speak for a while as they all settled their nerves and slowly found comfort in each other. In the peace of knowing that Phyre's need was able to stop him before it was too late. They could all feel Sam in the link, nervous to leave Emily, but unwilling to leave them just yet.

"How did you know Sam?" Embry finally asked.

"Your dad called. He was worried, said something happened and you were likely to lose control."

Embry sighed. "Did he say anything else?"

"No. But, if you are going to behave and stay put, I will give him a call." Sam said.

"Thanks."

Phyre felt so drained. Her emotions were still in over drive. Why couldn't the past just stay in the past? As soothing as Embry had been. As happy as she had been in the weeks prior. Seeing A.J. had its impact on her. She felt herself slipping away. Back into her depression. Not wanting to be near anyone. She felt cold and detached. Everything was numb.

Embry growled. "No. You are not going there."

Phyre snorted. She didn't want to argue. She didn't want to try anymore.

"Guys, can I have a moment alone in here with my imprint?" Jake and Quil quickly phased out of the pack mind and sat on a log, vocally stating that they were happy to give us space.

Embry rolled his eyes at them. It was good to have his friends there when he needed it. But, this was something for Phyre.

"Phyre, listen to me. I am not going to let you give up. You hear me?" Embry started.

"I miss him Bree. My brother saved me and I couldn't save him. I shouldn't have gone to school that day. I should have stayed home. I could have stopped him." She broke down again. "I haven't done anything right. A.J. took everything, he almost took you. It's all just wrong. And, I don't know how to fight any more."

He nuzzled further into her neck. "You know that you won over my dad when you admitted that you made mistakes and said that you would make more, with confidence."

She growled slightly.

"I'm not kidding. He really likes you. So does my mom. And Leah... come on, you have to give yourself props for winning over Leah. Hell, the whole pack loves you like a sister. Paul, more than the rest, but I guess he has a good excuse."

She gave a half laugh.

"Let's see, then there is Karen who truly loves you as a friend and Seth who is forever indebted to you for introducing him to his imprint. Even more for loving his imprint enough to protect her from her own bully, before he was in the picture. And, we can't forget Collin and Brady who can't shut up about how cool you are and how you make them laugh at school. Or your whole pack of misfits who are banding together to protect each other. What would they do without you?"

Embry paused and leaned back to look at her. She was trying hard not to react. So, instead of returning to his embrace, he put his head on his paws.

"I know that Anna loves you as a sister. You two have way too much fun dancing around the house while making cookies. And, don't think that I don't know about your plots and plans. I know that you did not come up with that costume idea on your own. Anna, she is too much of an introvert to put that much into someone she didn't truly care about."

Phyre turned and watched him. "What is your point?"

"My point is that you are loved. You might not have been here long. And, I know you came from a place where it is difficult to fully accept what is being given to you and trust in it. But, it is true. It is real. You are loved. You are welcomed. You are appreciated. You are wanted. And, not just by me. So, you can't blame it on the imprint bond. You are accepted and wanted by all of us. So, I won't sit here and feel you pull away and closing yourself off because you think that people don't want you. I know you have a lot to work through and it is a process. But, I will fight with everything I have to keep you here with me. Just like you did for me a few minutes ago."

"Why?"

Rather than speak, Embry showed her. He showed her the way he saw her. His memories of her smiles. Of her laughter. Of the times when she made him laugh or made him feel better after a bad day. Of the way he felt confident and empowered when she encouraged him to be himself, not just a piece of candy. Of the pride he felt when he heard her defend him to his father. Embry showed her memory after memory. Trying to show her just how much he loved the passionate, strong, sexy woman that she was.

"I love you too Bree." She licked at his face.

"If you two are going to get all kissy faced, can we switch roles? We still have a patrol to finish." Jake whined.

Phyre had completely forgotten that he was still there with Quil. Oops. She and Embry made their way back to the truck and delivered the food. Phyre was still hesitant in her emotions. However, Embry wouldn't let go of her. She really needed that physical contact and he gave it without her needing to ask. It meant everything to her.

"So, your dad said that the family you had a run in with left the rez. Apparently the parents were quite upset to learn just what their son had been doing and decided to return home. Don't really know what happened, but sounds like their departure is for the best." Sam informed them once they settled in.

Yes. Definitely for the best.

"Da-da, da-da!" Rory called as she wobbled her way into the house on her own two legs.

"You are doing good jelly bean!" Paul beamed with pride as he knelt down a few yards in front of her with his arms out. Rory had been taking steps between short distances for weeks, but Paul and Anna tried to encourage her to walk farther before she would squat down to the floor and crawl.

Emily smiled at the sight. "I still can't believe her first words were da-da."

Anna scoffed. "Are you kidding? Sometimes, I am surprised that she even knows I exist. She is a total daddy's girl." Just then, Rory tripped and started crying. Anna quickly scooped her up to sooth her, but Rory reached for Paul. "See what I mean?"

Paul kissed Anna on the cheek. "Just remember that you are the one that she wants to rock her and read stories at night. She won't let me put her down to sleep."

Anna smiled at that.

Rory wiggled her way down again and wobbled herself over to Phyre. Rory and Phyre had gotten along just fine. Phyre dove right on in to help with the little rascal when she moved in. Changing diapers, feeding her, giving her baths, all of it. And, given Phyre's nerves, it felt really good to have even the baby seek her out for a few minutes. Phyre picked her up and cuddled her close.

"You would be a great mom." Embry whispered.

Phyre smiled. "Maybe one day, when the vampires stop showing up and we can stop phasing." She leaned her head against his shoulder.

In that moment, she actually did regret that she could not have kids. A family of her own. Still, being an aunt to Rory was more than enough while she was still in school.

An aunt. She had not really thought about that before. Embry reminded her that she really did have a family now. A real family. She looked around at the pack that gathered. A family that wanted her.

Best Christmas ever.


	17. Chapter 17

April 14th

"Well Jax, I made it. I am officially 18. It's been one hell of a ride." She paused. "I still miss you though. I think you would have really liked this new family. They have all helped me so much. I don't know where I would have been without them." Phyre wiped a tear from her eye. "So, as a birthday present, Paul is finally letting me just move in with Embry. Not that he has much of a say anymore, but it is still nice to see he is officially over his earlier hang ups about Embry and I sleeping in the same bed."

"His hang ups were about me taking your virginity, not about us sleeping in the same bed." Embry called from the other room.

Phyre shook her head as she laughed. "Yeah, that wolf hearing still doesn't give us much privacy. But, you do get a new shelf to sit on. And, Embry even got you a frame instead of the album. So, you are moving up in the world little brother. I love you." She kissed the photo and set the frame on the bookshelf of the room that she would share with Embry.

The sizzle and pop of bacon cooking drew her out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen. "I get a new room _**and** _ breakfast?" She asked as she pecked Embry on the lips.

"It's your birthday! I have to spoil you." He defended.

Quil laughed. "You always spoil her."

"Your one to talk. How many dolls and dresses have you bought Claire?" Embry glared at his roommate. Quil just grinned.

"So, how does it feel to officially be an adult who got her college acceptance letter last week and her scholarships?" Embry asked.

Phyre smiled wide as she piled bacon onto her plate. "I am thrilled! I can relax now. Just over a month left of high school. I have my scholarships. Washington State accepted me. My little pack of misfits are doing really well on their own now. Both Kim and Emily have offered to try to help me get jobs with them. Though, I am leaning toward the hotel over the Head Start teacher. I like kids, but I'm not sure I want to be trapped with that many of them all day, every day. God, Emily has the patience of a saint!"

The boys laughed.

"We are all proud of you Phyre." Quil said as he stood up to head out the door to work. "Just do me a favor, don't go christening your new living arrangements in my bed, or on the kitchen table where I eat." He smirked and then left.

Phyre bit her lips as she turned red. Yeah. She was not going to tell Quil that the kitchen table had already been 'christened'.

"Well, he did not say anything about the rest of this house..." Embry suggested.

"Is there anywhere left?" Phyre finally laughed once she heard Quil's truck drive away.

Embry stopped to think about it. "The counters, the tables, the couches and chairs, the stairs, his room, our room, the spare room, the bathroom, the dresser, the closets, the garage... yeah, I think that we have marked it all." He paused. "Oh! Almost forgot one more place... though technically we have already 'christened' it."

Phyre's brows scrunched with a confused expression. Embry smiled and waggled his brows. "Come on love." He lead her to the back yard where a large green pick up truck sat.

"What is this?"

"Do you recognize it?" He asked as she walked up behind her to pull her body flush against his. Embry's voice was deep and rumbled full of lust. Her knees were weak from the mixture of senses. So, when she didn't answer, he kissed her neck. "It's the truck where we spent our first time together."

Phyre's eyes went wide and she giggled. "And, what is it doing here?" She breathed.

"It's a bit of an older truck, but old man Marshall kept up with it. We kept her in good shape. And, when Marshall mentioned to us that he wanted to sell the truck because he was getting too old to be driving around safely, the guys and I worked out a plan to buy it for you."

"You..." She turned to face him. "You bought this? For me?"

He nodded. "We got a good deal. And we all chipped in. The whole pack. Happy birthday."

She smacked his chest. "How did you hide this from me?" She laughed and then jumped into his arms to kiss him senseless. He groaned as his fingers dug into her flesh to pull her closer.

Phyre pulled away and dropped down enough to slide her capris down her legs while he watched. "Well, we have already been in the back of the truck, but we haven't been on the hood, in the cab, or simply pressed up against the side of the truck." She said seductively.

Embry's erection was already obvious in his shorts. "Seriously woman, you are gonna kill me." He groaned. "But, I love it." He attacked her lips once again and pulled her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist and pressed her against the side of the truck. His hands slid under her tennis dress to cup her bare ass. Her skin erupted in goosebumps. It was a rush to be doing that outside during the day. Yeah, they were in the back where no one should see them, but there was always a chance. And, it turned her on more.

"Damn, baby, you are so wet." Embry groaned.

"I want you. Now. Forget foreplay. Please." She panted. He was more than happy to comply. His shorts dropped and he was buried into her within seconds, as they both muttered incoherent syllables at the feeling of being completely connected. Embry made his way down to nip at her nipples through her dress as he rocked his hips into her. Phyre's back arched and she begged for more. Rocking her hips to meet his.

"I can't believe you are still so tight." His voice raw and ragged from the lust. "I can never get enough of you."

Phyre pulled his lips to hers. "Good. Because I never want you to stop."

Her cell phone went off. She didn't move to find it or answer it.

"You have school firefly." Embry mumbled against her lips.

"I'll be late. It's my birthday. I want my cake, and to eat it too."

He laughed as he drove into her harder. His mouth swallowed up her screams of pleasure.

* * *

Phyre ran back into the house to try to get a quick shower before going to school. But, she stopped when she saw Paul sitting on the couch. She immediately blushed.

"Bree, we have company!" She called out the back door. "Umm. Hi."

Paul shook his head. "You two are worse than rabbits."

Embry chuckled as he walked in. "Well, that was kind of the point of her moving here. You wouldn't have to hear it so much. So, why show up and torture yourself?"

"I did try to call first, but you were... busy." Paul took a deep breath. "Sorry to make you even more late to school, but I wanted to talk with you Phyre."

"About what?" She asked cautiously.

Paul licked his lips. "Do you remember that Social Services said they were going to look for mommy dearest?"

"Yeah. But, what's the point now?"

"They kind of found her yesterday. I got the call just after you left this morning."

"And..." Paul looked too nervous. It was starting to freak Phyre out. "Please don't tell me that she is not really my mom and your not really my brother or something."

He jumped to reassure her. "No, no, nothing like that. You are definitely my sister. But, it looks like we have two more brothers."

Phyre groaned. "Dear God! Can't that woman tie her tubes or something?"

Paul chuckled. "I share that sentiment. However, it looks like someone else finally caught on to her inability to parent. Too late to stop most of it though."

She fell into the couch. Her heart crashed as she figured out where Paul was headed. "What did she do?"

"She was arrested yesterday in Montana with her new man. The charges are child abuse. They are looking at serious prison time. The boys are twins, three years old and in the hospital now."

Embry sat next to her and wrapped an arm across her shoulders.

"What can we do?" She whispered.

Paul placed a hand on hers. "We can't leave the rez for very long. Our responsibilities are here. And, those boys can't just move across state lines. Especially while their parents are just now being charged. But, we can work with Social Services there in Montana to offer a home for those boys if the legal stuff can be worked out."

"And, what does Anna think?" She asked.

Paul sighed. "Anna is open to having them live with us. Her only concern is that they are older boys who may have some challenges in coming from that home. She doesn't want them to act out against Rory. My gut is telling me to help them. But, my wolf is telling me to protect my daughter. I don't know what to do."

"Bree?" Phyre looked at Embry.

"You know that I will support you. No matter what your choices are on this." He hugged her close. "We are still young and getting our feet under us, so no one will blame you if you don't think you can do this. But, no one will question you if you decide to go for it either."

* * *

"Ms. Uley, Mr. Call, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rebecca Miller."

Phyre was nervous as she greeted the social worker in Billings, Montana. "Hi. Nice to meet you."

"Remember that this is just an initial visit to meet each other. They have been through a lot and you and I can talk more after." Phyre nodded her head. "Let me introduce you to Phoenix and Phalen." The woman opened a door to a room where two little boys played. "Phalen, Phoenix, can you come meet my friends Phyre and Embry?" Their light caramel skin and dark brown hair reminded her so much of Jax. Her chest tightened. God, she prayed that she could do more for these boys than she had for him. She was terrified that it wouldn't be enough. But, this time, she had Embry, and Paul, and Anna, and a whole pack to support her.

One little boy looked up and ran over with a toy car in his hand that he held out to Phyre. Phyre sat down to play with him and then the other joined in. "So, whose car is the red one?" She asked.

"Mine!" One boy yelled.

"Oh, so it's Phalen's car?" She smirked as she tricked the into telling he which boy was which.

"No. Not Phalen. I'm Phoenix." He pouted.

She laughed. "Are you sure? How do I know you are really Phoenix and not being silly?"

The little boy smiled. "I'm not silly. Your silly!"

"Oh you are being silly! So you must be Phalen." She was having fun poking at his buttons. Not only did the boys have on different color shirts, but they had other features that let her tell them apart once she knew which was which.

Phalen fell over laughing. "No. I'm Phalen. He's Phoenix."

"Right, ok, so you are Phoenix, and you are Phalen."

"No!" The boys were laughing.

Phyre smiled up at Embry who grinned as he watched her bond with her brothers, constantly mixing all of their names up, even calling the boys Phyre just to add to the confusion.

"Mr. Call, are you sure that you are ready for this?" Ms. Miller asked. "I mean, it will be several months before anything can be resolved here with their parents still facing trial. But, Ms. Uley just graduated high school, you are both young, and you just got engaged."

"Ms. Miller. You don't know Phyre. Trust me, she will give everything she has to those boys and work however hard she has to in order to be there for them. And, she will _**not**_ be doing it all alone."

* * *

 **The End...**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for reading my story. I hope you liked it.**

 **Please leave reviews. I do take reviews seriously.**

 **As a note to follow up with a PM that I got, my reasons for following the avenues of abuse were simple. With Paul's volatile nature, I wanted there to be something in his past that help to explain some of his excess anger issues. The imprint bond adds to it, but the roots needed to already be there. It also gave a foundation for his protection of Anna when they first met. Then, in developing this story, it made sense to carry that track through. After all, people who are abusive tend to continue being abusive, and repeat the circumstances that would lead to such events. So, it would be perfectly logical for Paul's mother to connect with similar types of men (some differences), and be abusive to other children. So, the lives of Paul, Phyre, Phalen, and Phoenix, were all impacted by the cycle of one woman's choices, including the men she chose to be with. It was not meant to portray all families as being that dysfunctional. Please don't take it as a stereotype for any group, or representative of any family. This is pure fiction.**

 **I honestly don't write with goals. I have one or two ideas and then just start writing and the story comes out. I had no intentions of getting as dark as this story did. But, it grew, naturally. So, I let the story out as it wanted to be told. Starting this story, I just had the image of Phyre and Embry's moment of imprinting... that awkward moment when she was with someone else. Everything fell into place from there.**

 **My chapters tended to be a little longer with story. I feel that they are pushing to be a bit too long, but please let me know what you think.**


	18. Chapter 18

**UPDATED Author's Note:**

 **Hi all,**

 **Thank you for your reviews and favorites. I am truly surprised by how much my Twilight stories have gotten support. I am posting this because I do have some updates on other projects and realized that no would know unless I said something.**

 **So, I am copying this to "Healing" as well.**

 **I realized that I had posted at the end of "Protection" that I had written this story, however, didn't post anything here to let everyone know that I wrote another story that kind of wraps up the rest of the pack. It is called "Again". Sorry for the late notice.**

 **That one is more emotional. Not as sweet or awkward as "Protection" or "Healing". I wanted them all to have very different relationships. And that set the tone for the whole story.**

 **Please look for them both on my profile.**

 **Also, if you do look at my profile, most of my stories are Dark-Hunter FanFiction. If you have not discovered Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series, I completely recommend it. A very different twist on vampire and were-animal mythologies. Definitely more adult. I write my FanFiction stories in keeping with her writing style (abuse, language, violence and sex are common).**

 **If you would like an introduction to her world, feel free to read my stories. However, remember that those stories will contain spoilers as they are more set to cannon and the knowledge of the series completely up to the date of publishing my story. Stories can be taken out of order, however, I wrote them with a basic chronological order of Achilles, Deimos, Bear Essentials, Kell, Phobos, Morginne, and Grumpy Bear. The two bear stories seem to be the most popular. :) I have one more that I hope to finish for Ethon. It would fall during Grumpy Bear so could be read at the end.**

 **And finally...**

 **I also have been posting some original stories on the sister site of FanFiction, FictionPress. I used the same Profile Name of DHHana.**

 **I posted my first ever book that I wrote years ago and seriously need to go back and re-work. "Abbie Cooper" is a kids story for 4-8th graders. Kind of a travel log with some mystery and emotional growth. It was written for my nieces. As a way to share some of my personal experiences from living in Egypt for a few years. Places I saw. Diversity that I realized was there. Great food. Posting it allowed my girls to share the story with their friends.**

 **Also, I have two Urban Fantasy stories that are much more adult, written with many of the same elements in my stories here. They both share some similarities in stories as one grew from a brain storming of thinking about re-writing the other. If I could get some more feedback and figure out which elements work best in which story, that would be amazing.**

 **"Turbulent Waters" is more of a large cast story. It follows the stories of several people as they entwine. Meant to be the start of a series. So, one book would have the relationship of at least one couple from start to finish while other peoples relationships might stretch across two or more books. So far I have the first half of the book done as well as half of four other books in the series as I work to interweave story lines. Feedback would really be helpful in letting me know if it is worth finishing it all or what I need to change to help it flow.**

 **Summary: Finding your soulmate is supposed to be a magical and loving experience. Except when Magic truly controls all the cards and the worlds of magical creatures are forming unprecedented alliances to try to stop you from that happily ever after. Prophesies, jealousy and fear fuel a growing war against a small group who are meant to protect the world from the dangers of the dark thrones.**

 **"Order of the Stars" is following the story from only one perspective. This is the one that kind of came together from other brainstorming. The title and lead character's name were taken from a FanFiction story that I wrote. However, it is very different. This one, I have been posting practically as I write. At the current rate, I will finish a complete book in about a week or two. Again, I will go back and re-write and may continue to a second book if I get feedback.**

 **Summary: All Dania wanted to do was hide. Hide from her past. Hide from men. A quiet life where she could deal with her issues in relative peace. However, as she approached her 24th birthday, things took very unexpected turns. Pulled into a war between the courts of dragons. She must learn to navigate the dangers, find her inner alpha and maneuver lustful pursuits from everyone.**

 **Please enjoy and give me reviews!**


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